Stuff ya face:
Standing out at Comic-Con
Fox creates a pop-up burger stand for a new show
By Toni Fitzgerald
Jul 30, 2010
Comic-Con being Comic-Con, where over the top is the norm, there was no end to alternative media stunts, but one stood out for the buzz it created and the sheer number of people it drew in.
It was a pop-up created by Fox for "Bob's Burgers," an animated program launching at midseason that follows a family in the burger business.
Fox took over a local restaurant, the Tin Fish, in San Diego, site of the annual gathering of comic book and pop culture enthusiasts, and decked it out as the fictional Bob's Burgers.
The stunt peaked with a burger eating contest that drew 18 professional eaters.
The rules were strict.
"Any mushing, mashing or mutilation of the American icon known as the hamburger is unacceptable," said the rule book. "Food warriors must keep bun and meat together and cannot purposely separate the two."
It was messy and, at times, disgusting. But six eaters made it through the five-minute first round to compete for the title, which was won by David "Coon Dog" O'Karma of Akron, Ohio, who scarfed down 14-3/4 burgers during the two-round contest.
Fox also gave away burgers to convention goers, though there were no rules governing their consumption.
"We felt that creating a pop-up Bob’s Burgers with a free burger giveaway and burger-eating competition component seemed like a natural fit for this unique new show and a great way to make some noise and break through the clutter at Comic Con," says Fox's Shannon Ryan.
The stunt had three elements. There was the eating contest, which had three preliminary rounds starting at noon and culminating in the championship at 6 p.m.
And of course the takeover of the restaurant. Signs proclaiming "Bob's Burgers" in yellow and red were placed around the Tin Fish, along with a sign that said "Grand Re-Opening." Tables with red Bob's umbrellas and a red tent with the logo on it were also set up. Fox did such a good job of it that the nearby Hotel Omni called the Tin Fish restaurant to see if it had been bought out.
The third element was the part that drew people in: Free food. Fox distributed postcards to Comic-Con attendees redeemable for a free hamburger and soda.
Two hundred burgers were served on a first-come, first-served basis each hour on the hour between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., and in all more than a thousand free burgers were given away.
Oh, as for the burger-eating contest, in case you're wondering, no one got sick, but Fox did have a medic on hand just in case.
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