KFC ad uses steganography to hack Tivo
Three years ago (jesus, I've been blogging for three years?) I had a suggestion for TV advertisers who were worried about the threat of Tivo: Try steganography. If Tivo users were fast-forwarding through ads, then why not create ads that are optimized for this behavior? Create ads that produce one coherent visual when viewed at normal speed, and another coherent effect -- an entirely different one -- when viewed in fast-forward. Sure, that'd be hard to do, but hey: Life's hard.
So I was intrigued this weekend to learn that KFC is the first company to tweak an ad specifically for Tivo. They've released a TV spot that contains a subliminal message that can be seen only when you scroll through the entire ad on slow-motion. Go frame-by-frame through their new "Buffalo KFC Snacker" ad (pictured above), and you'll encounter a single frame that lists a secret code you can use to get one free!
I love it. Phil Swann of TVPredictions.com has written a short commentary about the ad, echoing my original point:
There's no question that the DVR makes it easier to skip commercials, but the KFC ad demonstrates that the advertising industry will adjust to the change. Future TV commercials will include more DVR gimmicks and other techniques to stop viewers before they skip.
Posted by Clive Thompson at February 27, 2006 08:46 PM
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Well, considering there are multiple speeds of fast-forwarding (do you want two three, or four triangles?), advertisers would have to apply patterns on several time scales to take full advantage. Almost like a fractal. Where is Jackson Pollock when you need him?
Posted by: Matt Hutson at March 3, 2006 8:03 PM
Yes!! Fractal advertising design!
I love it.
Posted by: Clive at March 6, 2006 1:31 PM
The fast-forwarding idea is interesting -- and of course, Matt's point about the different speeds is a good one. But this strategy is different. They're basically offering people an incentive not only to view the commercial (rather than skip it with fast-forwarding), but to extend their exposure to KFC's ad message by viewing it in slow motion, or even frame-by-frame. A steganographically embedded message, viewable in fast-forward mode, would still be a short one. And in any case, you still can't be sure people will keep their eyes on the screen, either. This approach motivates people to watch (rather than skip) -- and to lengthen their watching.
Posted by: visualweasel at March 7, 2006 11:39 AM
Good point! It would also be cool to create an ad-within-an ad that consists of four or five still frames that tell a different story, as per a comic strip, embedded within the main ad -- invisible when you breeze past at 30 frames a second, so the only way to view it would be to slow down and scroll through the spot.
Posted by: Clive at March 8, 2006 12:48 PM
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Well, considering there are multiple speeds of fast-forwarding (do you want two three, or four triangles?), advertisers would have to apply patterns on several time scales to take full advantage. Almost like a fractal. Where is Jackson Pollock when you need him?
Posted by: Matt Hutson![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.collisiondetection.net/nav-commenters.gif)
at March 3, 2006 8:03 PM
Yes!! Fractal advertising design!
I love it.
Posted by: Clive![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.collisiondetection.net/nav-commenters.gif)
at March 6, 2006 1:31 PM
The fast-forwarding idea is interesting -- and of course, Matt's point about the different speeds is a good one. But this strategy is different. They're basically offering people an incentive not only to view the commercial (rather than skip it with fast-forwarding), but to extend their exposure to KFC's ad message by viewing it in slow motion, or even frame-by-frame. A steganographically embedded message, viewable in fast-forward mode, would still be a short one. And in any case, you still can't be sure people will keep their eyes on the screen, either. This approach motivates people to watch (rather than skip) -- and to lengthen their watching.
Posted by: visualweasel![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.collisiondetection.net/nav-commenters.gif)
at March 7, 2006 11:39 AM
Good point! It would also be cool to create an ad-within-an ad that consists of four or five still frames that tell a different story, as per a comic strip, embedded within the main ad -- invisible when you breeze past at 30 frames a second, so the only way to view it would be to slow down and scroll through the spot.
Posted by: Clive![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.collisiondetection.net/nav-commenters.gif)
at March 8, 2006 12:48 PM