# New KFC Ad Embraces TiVo Features



## HofstraJet (Jul 19, 2001)

KFC has a new ad that has a hidden code for a free chicken sandwich hidden in a frame of the video that can be found by using TiVo's slo-mo and freeze frame features. They think that people will watch the ad and find the code instead of skipping past the ad.

http://cbs4.com/watercooler/local_story_054114056.html



TVPredictions.com said:


> KFC Unveils 'TiVo-Proof' TV Commercial
> DVR owners can win a free sandwich by playing the spot frame-by-frame.
> 
> The Digital Video Recorder, which easily enables viewers to fast-forward past recorded commercials, has some companies saying they will cut back on their TV advertising. They say they are afraid that their commercials will go unseen.
> ...


----------



## itsmeitsmeitsme (Nov 13, 2003)

Finally somebody "gets it".


----------



## Guindalf (Jun 13, 2001)

Hats off to KFC. Not my favorite fast food establishment, but at least they are thinking "out of the box" (or should that be "out of the bucket"??).


----------



## JohnTivo (Dec 2, 2002)

I've eaten at KFC once in my lifetime... so I'm not much of a fan of their food either. 

I do think their Ad firm should get a bump in fees for this idea...


----------



## Jonathan_S (Oct 23, 2001)

Wouldn't it be much more likely that only a few people will bother to find the code, which will then spread around the internet?

Of course that does give KFC a publicity boost, because either the people getting the code online with think about and probably visit a KFC, or the whole thing will end up in the press in a story about how people were using this code off the internet to get free food. (Probably something like "Hungry Teens Hack KFC").

But they might end up giving out more free food than they wanted to...


----------



## Billy66 (Dec 15, 2003)

They are already getting press form this. KFC does get it. The challenge all along is and will be to produce advertising that users *choose* to watch. Most try to approach it from the "Force them to watch it" side. By providing an add that users will choose to watch, they will do well.


----------



## jmoak (Jun 20, 2000)

"Watch our ad carefully, get a free sammich!"

I can live with that.


----------



## Wirelezz (Jan 27, 2006)

*I see the future, and the future is beak!*
(miss-spelled pun intended!).

So we all become commercial junkies addicted to a "hunt & peck" viewing experience looking for silly secret codes so we can get worthless "freebies" and take valuable time out of our busy lives going to places we would otherwise never visit to redeem said worthless "freebies!"

Now commercials become more intrusive than ever before, we no longer use our Tivo's to experience a free flow viewing experience watching our favorite shows commercial free. Advertising marketing firms are going to have a field day with this!

The hell of it is, yea, I'll probably be one of those looking for those secret codes just for the fun of it! Kudos to you KFC!

(This post is intended to be facetious, please, no flames!)

--
Wireless


----------



## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

Where's waldo....oops wrong thread


----------



## gastrof (Oct 31, 2003)

How is this something that a person with a VCR with slow-mo feature wouldn't be able to do?


----------



## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

Some would, some wouldn't. Many consumer VHS VCRs won't do frame-by-frame advance.


----------



## Frylock (Feb 13, 2002)

Such a simple concept, but I don't get why advertisers don't get it. The Superbowl everyone watches the ads. Why? Because they are good. And shows on TV. Why so we watch them? It's entertaining! So if commercials were entertaining, people would watch them!

So simple, but most of these ad companies don't seem to get it. Kudos to KFC.


----------



## cmcgill (Jan 15, 2004)

Part of it is the fault of the FCC and the "morality" police. Allow nudity in commercials and you won't find too many people skipping over them.


----------



## Havana Brown (Feb 3, 2005)

So have any of y'all found the code?


----------



## Jonathan_S (Oct 23, 2001)

stevel said:


> Some would, some wouldn't. Many consumer VHS VCRs won't do frame-by-frame advance.


And even if someone has a model that does (or they get lucky with the pause button) they still have to have been recording the ad in the first place.

It's not like you can rewind the buffer on a VCR because something caught your eye in that last ad. 

They would have had to had planned ahead to record the program that happened to have the KFC commercial; but with a DVR you pretty much always have access to frame by frame (either because you recorded the program or because the live buffer allows it).


----------



## Billy Bob Boy (Jul 25, 2004)

Frylock said:


> Such a simple concept, but I don't get why advertisers don't get it. The Superbowl everyone watches the ads. Why? Because they are good. And shows on TV. Why so we watch them? It's entertaining! So if commercials were entertaining, people would watch them!
> 
> So simple, but most of these ad companies don't seem to get it. Kudos to KFC.


i agree 100% the ad for mountain dews power drink with all the nocturnal animals lip synching to "All Night Long" is great. i watch it every time i see it.


----------



## trnsfrguy (Apr 28, 2005)

I saw the commercial during WWE Smackdown tonite. 
It has 3 firefighters having lunch and you do catch a glimpse of the code on the upper right side of your tv screen if you let it play out on normal speed. 
When you use slo-mo, you'll see that it directs you to kfc.com and to enter BUFFALO to get the free sandwich.


----------



## Guindalf (Jun 13, 2001)

Jonathan_S said:


> Wouldn't it be much more likely that only a few people will bother to find the code, which will then spread around the internet?


Doesn't that have the same effect? SOmeone already has posted the information and now people reading this thread are going to KFC.com and entering the code. Each one is another person that the ad has reached - directly or indirectly!



> But they might end up giving out more free food than they wanted to...


I doubt it. They are giving away a free 99 cent sandwich, not a trip to Vegas! Most people going in to cash the freebie are going to buy a side and a drink to go with it. I'm sure it's "while supplies last" anyway and if they sell out, guess what? MORE publicity!


----------



## cheerdude (Feb 27, 2001)

Havana Brown said:


> So have any of y'all found the code?


Yep ...



Spoiler



BUFFALO



(Haven't actually seen the ad... but I did find what the code is)


----------



## goony (Nov 20, 2003)

Big deal... I tried the 'secret code' at their website, it wanted to know my birthdate, so I entered "Jan. 1st, 1970" and it came back with "Too Young To Participate" - you must be 18 or older. (Using Firefox V1.5.0.1 browser)

Geeze, do you have to be a geezer to get a free samich? 

*Added:* It functions correctly with Internet Exposer browser and yeilds a form to obtain all of your info. For 99 cents, I think I'll skip the potential spaming.


----------



## HofstraJet (Jul 19, 2001)

I just went to the website and entered the code, birthday, personal info, etc - I was ENTERED INTO A DRAWING to get the free sandwich. I have to be one of the first 75,000 participants to enter and I'll receive a coupon in the mail! What is that all about?

I expected a coupon that I could print or something. This deal gets worse and worse all the time.


----------



## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

ABC Turns Down 'Subliminal' KFC Ad:

http://www.forbes.com/2006/03/02/yum-kfc-advertising-cx_cn_0302autofacescan02.html


----------

