• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, October 25, 2018

File this in the most-ridiculous-gimmick-of-the-year-by-a-brand-desperately-seeking-publicity folder.

At least that was my first reaction.

Then again, I live in New York City, so I don’t even own a car, let alone go on 12-hour road trips for anything, including free fast-food chicken.

That’s the premise behind this new super gimmicky promotion cooked up by Popeye’s the chicken chain and Omnicom agency GSD&M, based in Austin.

But hey, most parts of the country aren’t as driver-unfriendly as NYC. I get it — millions of people own and drive cars for many miles every day.

But 12 hours for a fast-food chicken run? I know, I know. Popeye’s allegedly marinates chicken for 12 hours and hence the 12-hour run for a meal. Yum yum, blah blah.

Still, a 12-hour chicken meal run is crazy talk. I mean, you’d spend way more on gas than the meal is worth, right? Wait, maybe they’re paying for the gas. Inquire before you begin the quest.

That said, lots of people are into road trips. I’m sure there are all sorts of interesting things to see and do between Fort Stockton, Texas, and New Orleans, the start and end points of the trip on your free-chicken trek.

Austin is pretty cool ,and that’s about half way. In fact, I’d spend a couple of days in Austin before continuing. The BBQ there is awesome. Not to mention the music. And New Orleans itself is quite a town.

However, I’m not sure the timing is right on this promo. College kids are the group most likely to consider doing this under any circumstances. And right now, college kids are knee-deep in first semester learning.

This seems more like a spring break kind of thing. Or maybe a take-a-break-from-studying-before-finals-and-blow-off-some-steam kind of promo.

Or maybe you just don’t have anything better to do on the weekend. Or maybe you're unemployed and have lots of time on your hands. Then it makes sense. But in that case, like I said, double-check on who's paying for the gas.