The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

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By Doug Zanger, Americas Editor

August 9, 2016 | 2 min read

Half-popped popcorn could, quite frankly, be one of the world’s greatest inventions (snack category). Another invention that the industry is uber-focused on and going gaga over? Artificial Intelligence (AI). Thanks, Pokemon Go — now we’ll have to endure the Pokemon-Go-ification of things on the conference circuit.

But I digress.

In yet another Humanaut-ish stroke of whimsy, the Chattanooga independent has struck gold with Halfpops (it’s what it sound like it is, half-popped popcorn — and it’s delicious) in a campaign, the "Halfpocalypse", that is both entertaining and unique in its targeting: coders and developers. See, lunks like you and me, who failed miserably at that COBAL class we took in high school, are at the mercy of some of the smartest people on the planet.

“We may be geniuses when it comes to popping popcorn perfectly halfway, but we have no clue what’s going to happen when AI advances beyond human intelligence,” explains Mike Fitzgerald, Halfpops CEO. “We figured we should probably make friends with the people who speak these robots’ languages, before it’s too late.”

It’s Halfpop’s contention that the planet’s demise will come courtesy of the AI apocalypse and, in a savvy move, the Scottsdale, Arizona-based brand is aligning with those well-schooled in the 1s and 0s by offering a month’s supply of the treats to coders and developers. Those who can demonstrate their AI-fighting code skills receive a box of Halfpops to share (or not) with their team. There is one caveat though. Coders and developers must sign the legally binding “Halfpocalypse Agreement,” pledging to protect Halfpop’s employees when the machines take over the world.

The national digital effort, featuring the main microsite where the coding takes place, is supported with a very funny video (the payoff at the end is fantastic) and a social campaign featuring the use of the very-easy-to-remember #0110100001100001011011000110011001110000011011110111000001110011 (code for 'Halfpops') on Twitter — the first-ever binary hashtag.

For those of us who will swing and miss at coding, all is not lost. The company is offering a 20% off coupon for at least making the effort.

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