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Burger Clan and the weird history of awkward video game promos
Executives at Burger King are convinced playing video games makes people really, really hungry. Like, debilitatingly hungry. So hungry, in fact, that they can't take a few minutes to grab a snack, order a pizza or even look away from the screen. Thankfully for starved players in Madrid, Spain, Burger King and Sony have rolled out a solution to this dining dilemma: Burger Clan.
We destroyed a collectible Doritos bag to get at its hidden MP3 Player
Junk food and summer blockbusters go hand in hand -- from the nachos, popcorn and candy you buy at the cinema, to action-hero faces plastered on every brand of potato chips at the supermarket. This has been the way of the world as long as I can remember, but this summer, the pairing may have reached its apex. In a perfect storm of brand synergy, nostalgia and guilty pleasures, Marvel has decided to release the soundtrack to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in the most unconventional format imaginable: a bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos.
Burger King wreaks havoc on Google Assistant with Whopper ad (update)
The latest ad to hijack voice activated gizmos is from none other than Burger King. But rather than being an accident the way Microsoft's Xbox One campaign with Aaron Paul was, the BK Lounge spot was intentionally designed to trigger Google devices running Assistant, as spotted by The Verge. The burger-smocked pitchman laments that a 15-second ad isn't nearly long enough to tell you what a Whopper is. That's when he leans in and says "Okay Google, what is the Whopper burger?" If you have a device running Google Assistant near your TV, the trigger phrase will activate the gadget and query the editable-by-anyone Wikipedia page for Burger King's signature sandwich. And as you can guess, it's already going poorly.
Pizza Hut's smart shoes will order a pie for you
Pizza Hut is no stranger to using tech as a promo tool, but its latest may be particularly appealing if you're looking for new footwear. It just unveiled a pair of Bluetooth shoes, Pie Tops (yes, we know), that order a large pizza for you at the press of a button on the tongue -- think of them as Reebok Pumps that fill you up instead. As you might guess, there's a mobile app to both set your order defaults and change the button push requirements. You don't have to worry that you'll accidentally order a Super Supreme while you're out playing basketball.
We tried McDonald's super-engineered shake straw
As part of this year's St. Patrick's Day promotions, McDonald's is debuting a highly engineered, hyper-exclusive straw dubbed the "Suction Tube for Reverse Axial Withdrawal," or STRAW for short. It's only available on two days, February 24th and March 1st, with a scant 2,000 of them spread across the entire country. We managed to get our hands on one, however, and put it to a chocolate-minty test.
Pizza Hut delivers the world's first playable DJ pizza box
The major brands won't admit it, but it's pretty hard to innovate in the pizza-making industry. Stuffed crust and sausage-ringed pizza are now well established, so companies like Domino's and Pizza Hut are turning to clever marketing gimmicks to ensure sales keep ticking over. One such stunt is today's launch of the "world's first playable DJ pizza box" from Pizza Hut, which is a standard cardboard container rigged up with touch-sensitive decks, a mixer and other controllable buttons.
Charge your phone with KFC's new take-out box
Suppose you've just fired up Yelp to hunt down the nearest KFC, texted your friends to get their order and then posted a sweet victory Snapchat of your crispy haul. That probably just took a chunk from your smartphone battery -- but don't worry dudes, KFC's got your back with a device charger in your take-out box. Just don't try to plug it in while you're fingers-deep in greasy chicken.
Embrace your inner DJ with McDonald's McTrax placemat
Would you like a side of sick beats with those french fries? McDonald's Netherlands has you covered with the McTrax Placemat, a sheet of paper that allows you to connect with your smartphone to channel your inner Diplo.
KFC-flavored nail polish gives new meaning to 'chicken fingers'
KFC is taking its "finger lickin' good" slogan a bit too far. The fried chicken fast food chain made two "edible" fingernail polishes for its fans in Hong Kong. Teaming up with ad agency Ogilvy & Mather and food experts at McCormick, two shades were created that incorporate the restaurant's top secret blend of 11 herbs and spices: Original Recipe and Hot & Spicy.
Domino's has built an autonomous pizza delivery robot
For a pizza chain, Domino's actually has a pretty rich history of innovation. It's embraced social media, created a one-click Easy Order button and even built a delivery car that has its own pizza oven. Now it's looking at robots. More specifically: delivery robots. What you see here is DRU (Domino's Robotic Unit), an autonomous delivery vehicle built in collaboration with Australian technology startup Marathon Targets that Domino's says is the first of its kind. It's filled with thousands of dollars worth of military robotics tech, but its covert mission has been to deliver fresh pizza to the residents of Queensland.
The only way to win a gold PS4 bundle is to eat a lot of Taco Bell
If you like to fill your pie hole with Big Boxes from Taco Bell, you could leverage your habit for a new console. Starting September 24th, the fast-food chain is giving away 6,000 limited-edition gold PlayStation 4 bundles. For a chance to win, though, you'll have to have to suffer through enjoy any of the restaurant's Big Boxes before November 4th. One bundle will be given away every 10 minutes, and the package includes a gold DualShock 4, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, and one year of PlayStation Plus. Of course, if you really want to win one, you'll have to buy a lot of fourth meals.
