Can You Win KitKat's AI-Powered Staring Contest?

Wunderman Thompson’s UK and Seattle offices launch interactive game

Wunderman Thompson has partnered with KitKat to bring its iconic ‘have a break’ positioning, with the world’s first AI-powered staring contest. Click here to try it out.

With scientific 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. Instagram is particularly popular, especially with Gen Z, with 63% of users scrolling through their feed at least once a day.

Introducing the Blink Break, a fun distraction from the mundane every day that gives people the chance to have a break from what they’re doing and go head-to-head in an AI-powered staring contest.

Built by integrated marketing agency Wunderman Thompson and using MediaPipe’s cutting-edge Face Mesh technology, the online game is enabled with a single camera input that uses machine learning to recognise a face and detect blinking, returning results literally within the blink of an eye. Participants face off against progressively more absurd animals the further through the game they get, from a lemur to a snowy owl.

With a pause in the action between each level, those who play are also encouraged to compete against each other and share their results using #blinkchallenge.

Developed by Wunderman Thompson’s UK and Seattle offices, the interactive game will launch across KitKat’s global Instagram channel on 30th May, 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 said: “Developing cutting-edge AI 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.”