Bucket of Genius!

Here’s to the Colonel, born September 9th.
Harland David Sanders, better known in his crisp white suit as Colonel Sanders, was born on this day in 1890. From a humble service station in Corbin, Kentucky, he perfected a pressure-fried recipe of golden, crispy chicken that soon became a finger-lickin’ empire. His “secret blend of 11 herbs and spices” turned Kentucky Fried Chicken into one of the most famous comfort foods on the planet, a recipe so tightly guarded it’s stored in a vault.

Decades later, the Colonel’s legacy lives not just in buckets of crispy drumsticks, but in one of the smartest social media marketing stunts of all time. In 2017, eagle-eyed fans noticed that KFC’s official Twitter account followed exactly 11 people. Not 12, not 10. Just 11.

The lineup?

• The five Spice Girls: Mel B, Mel C, Victoria Beckham, Emma Bunton, and Geri Halliwell.
• And six men named Herb: Herb Alpert, Herb Dean, Herb Sendek, Herb Scribner, Herb Waters, and Herb J. Wesson Jr.

Together, they formed “11 herbs and spices”, a brilliant, wink-and-nod tribute to KFC’s legendary recipe. When a fan uncovered the gag, KFC rewarded him with a one-of-a-kind painting of Colonel Sanders giving him a piggyback ride through the woods.

So today, as we celebrate the Colonel’s birthday, raise a drumstick to the man whose chicken conquered the world—and whose brand still serves up marketing as crispy and clever as the original recipe