Free sandwich is hiding in KFC's ad
Published: Fri, Feb. 24, 2006 12:00AM
Modified Fri, Feb. 24, 2006 03:33AM
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closePsstt. KFC wants to share a secret. No, not THAT secret.
Colonel Sanders' herbs-and-spices recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken is still safely locked away, but the chain debuted a new TV ad Thursday that allows viewers to crack a hidden message if they play the spot back slowly on a digital video recorder or VCR.
The gimmick is meant to counter technology that allows TV viewers to skip past commercials faster than ever before.
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"This is taking the exact opposite approach -- rewarding viewers for taking the time to engage and be interactive with television," said Tom O'Keefe of ad agency Foote Cone & Belding, which created the KFC spot.
For those able to solve the secret, the prize is a coupon for KFC's new, sauce-drenched Buffalo Snacker chicken sandwich. The ads will air during NBC's Winter Olympic telecasts, and on other networks until March 3. The message explaining how to redeem the offer is planted in a few of the spot's frames and revealed when replayed in slow motion.
KFC hopes to thwart technology that lets viewers fast-forward through commercials -- such as DVRs that zip past ads in a flash -- that has been a headache for the TV industry and advertisers.
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