KitKat forces consumers to face off with absurd animals in blinking contest

KitKat is giving netizens a chance to "have a break" with the launch of its first global AI-powered staring contest, Blink Break. Developed by Wunderman Thompson’s UK and Seattle offices, Blink Break will see participants face off against progressively more absurd animals the further through the game they get, from a lemur to a snowy owl. The game uses machine learning to to recognise a face and detect blinking, returning results "literally within the blink of an eye".

KitKat said in a statement that the Blink Break serves as a fun distraction from the mundane every day that gives people the chance to have a break from what they’re doing. The launch of the game also comes amidst studies showing that even brief diversions from a task can dramatically improve ability to focus, and more than ever people are turning to social media to break up their day.

As KitKat found that Instagram is particularly popular, especially with Gen Z, with 63% of users scrolling through their feed at least once a day, it unveiled the launch of Blink Break on its Instagram page, "with posts coinciding with the infamous mid-afternoon slump when people are most in need of a light-hearted distraction".

Wael Jabi, global strategic marketing and communications lead at KitKat said, “KitKat has famously encouraged people to have a break since 1957, and this campaign shows a whole generation of digital natives the benefits of taking a break in one of the most relevant contexts for them.”

Paul Shearer, global chief creative officer at Wunderman Thompson added that developing AI cutting-edge technology that responds within the blink of an eye is an unexpected move for KitKat, but gives the brand a chance to show up and show off their legendary positioning in a fresh and relevant way to a new audience.

Separately, KitKat also ventured into the online gaming space last month. Drawing on the history of KitKat's "Have a Break. Have a KITKAT." tagline, the chocolate brand decided to infiltrate FIFA Ultimate Team Champions Weekend League with its 100-specially created KitKat accounts and created The Kitto Kath Squad (pictured below), a team made up of silver and bronze-level players who are easy to beat. Through this initiative, KitKat hoped to give gamers in Malaysia, where FIFA is the leading gaming title among 25 to 35-year-olds, a break from the pressure that comes with Malaysia's Weekend League, and help them win as many games as possible. During the Weekend League, players have three days to win up to 20 online games against randomly matched opponents, in exchange for big virtual rewards. 

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