# Staring Contest AR Campaigns KitKat's 'Blink Break' Has Users Enter Staring Contests with Animals By Niko Pajkovic | Published 2022-06-08 | Marketing Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/blink-break-1 References: [marketingdive](https://www.marketingdive.com/news/kitkat-mobile-camera-ai-staring-contest/624754/) & [kitkatblinkbreak](https://www.kitkatblinkbreak.com/start)  Chocolate wafer brand [KitKat](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/blink-break) has launched an all-new interactive campaign called 'Blink Break' that leverages artificial intelligence technology and augmented reality. The activation invites KitKat fans to use their smartphone's selfie camera to participate in a staring contest with a variety of animals. The app can detect when a user blinks, in which case it will inform them that they have lost the challenge. The playful activation will cycle through a range of “progressively more absurd animals.” The longer a user is able to hold out on blinking, the more random the animals seem to become. In addition, the app invites players to participate against other users on [Instagram](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/maybelline-new-york) using the hashtag "#blinkchallenge." Overall, the game plays into Kit Kat's broader 'Have a Break, Have a Kit Kat' slogan as it continually asks players if they "need a break?" as they stare off against their animal competitors. Image Credit: KitKat ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.9/10 - Popularity: 41% | Activity: 64% | Freshness: 12% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Gen Alpha, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Marketing](https://www.trendhunter.com/marketing) > [Branding](https://www.trendhunter.com/branding) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Augmented Reality Selfie Campaigns:** Opportunities arise for brands to create interactive campaigns that leverage AI and AR to engage customers in new ways. - **Staring Contest Marketing:** A new trend in engaging customers through playful staring contests, using AI to track users’ blinking. - **Social Media Challenges:** Companies can leverage social media to create brand awareness and user engagement with creative and interactive campaigns. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Food & Beverage / Confectionery:** Brands in this industry can create playful and innovative campaigns using modern technologies to increase customer engagement. - **Marketing & Advertising:** As brands search for new ways to capture their audience’s attention, trends like these create opportunities for marketing and advertising professionals. - **Games & Entertainment:** Companies in the gaming and entertainment industry can use this trend to create new and exciting interactive experiences for their users. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [AI-Powered Staring Contests](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/blink-break.md) - [Break-Focused AI Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ai-campaign.md) - [Workday Break-Focused Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/teams-meeting.md) - [Swapped Phone Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kitkat-phone-break.md) - [AI-Generative Chocolate Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kitkat.md) - [Personal Break-Emphasizing Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/personal-breaks.md) - [Gamer-Inspired Snacks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kitkat1.md) - [Digital Staredown Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/second-screen-staredown.md) - [Gamified Eyecare Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/eye-odyssey.md)