Speaking of ... PingRay's Issue 6

The Legend of Sub Chick

When "Subservient Chicken," our Online Gadgets & Toys selection in Issue 6, was first released in April, 2004, not a few people thought it was a hoax--that someone had mis-appropriated Burger King’s good name as a spoof on "we'll do whatever you say" marketing. Or, as in BK's brand promise: "Have it your way."

In fact, the hoax question was so often asked that one authoritative hoax-busting site (snopes.com) was led to post the truth: it really was from BK.

Now, about 15 million or more viewers later, "Subservient Chicken," created by the Crispin Porter + Bogusky ad agency in Miami and The Barbarian Group in Boston, is one of the textbook successes of “viral marketing” --although, in these days of bird flu, it's hard to conceive of a more inappropriate label.

From the "you gotta check this out" angle--a key requirement for all PingRay selections-- Sub Chick still makes the sale. It is so over-the-top and artfully amateurish that it still charms and amuses us. And the roughness and prompt responses makes it feel as if it's a live, interactive...albeit clunky...transmission.

But, goofy fun aside, did it sell more chicken sandwiches? Adweek and others tried to answer that question. Apparently, sales increased at BK, but without a direct "chicken-then-egg" connection.

Lest it seem like a two-hour production, keep in mind that "Sub Chick" has several hundred video clips, selected on the fly from a quick scan for keywords in your typed command--supposedly, 400 commands in all. And, in case you were wondering about exactly what tricks this puppy has up its sleeve, someone with way too much time on their hands has compiled a list of what the Chicken will and won't do.