In an era when US fast food juggernauts often overshadow local favourites, Red Rooster, Australia’s beloved chicken shop, also known affectionately as ‘Reds’, is breaking new ground with an innovative solution that caters to cravings before you even realise you have them. Meet ‘craveware’, a groundbreaking AI-powered tech marvel designed to deliver on Australians’ love for chicken in the most convenient way possible.
Developed by the creative minds at technology agency whiteGREY, craveware is a leap into the future of fast food. This ingenious AI software is designed to pick up on your hunger cues – more specifically, your stomach rumbles – and not just any old noise, but it smartly filters out the unrelated ones (yes, we’re talking about burps and farts!). Taking it a notch higher, craveware then places an order for a meal tailored to the intensity and duration of those tummy rumbles. Sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, doesn’t it?
Jono Casley, whiteGREY’s chief technology officer, puts it perfectly: “When the odds are stacked against you, you need to change the rules of the game.” Casley highlights that Red Rooster, the pioneer Aussie Chicken Shop, has always been at the forefront of understanding and fulfilling chicken cravings. “What better way to win over consumers than by connecting directly with their appetite?” he remarks.
The craveware technology is embedded in a special T-shirt equipped with a microphone to listen in on your stomach’s calls for food. Once it catches a rumble, an online order is placed, and voila! The meal is on its way to wherever you are.
Ashley Hughes, Red Rooster’s marketing director, shares the excitement: “We’ve never been a brand to rest on our laurels, so whiteGREY has created a groundbreaking CX solution that satisfies Australia’s chicken cravings in real-time, and we are stoked to be the ones to bring it to life.
“By leveraging AI technology, we’ve created a solution that not only understands hunger cues but also takes the initiative to place orders on behalf of the consumer. It’s a seamless, innovative approach to satisfying ‘The Rooster Within’, and we can’t wait to listen to the conversation it creates for, and about, Reds.”
Chad Mackenzie, whiteGREY CCO, adds a touch of humour to the discussion, “I think I’ve asked Jono to explain the convolutional neural network thing a million times, but it still hasn’t sunk in. Basically, some seriously cool tech that means you can bypass the normal decision-making process and let your stomach do the ordering for you. I mean, we’ve got AI threatening to write our copy and pull together all of our imagery for us, so why not order chicken for us?”
To kick things off, Red Rooster is deploying an influencer-led campaign featuring Issac Eats-a-Lot alongside robust PR and digital strategies to drum up even more excitement. Looking ahead, there are plans to integrate craveware in more innovative ways, including potential in-restaurant uses and cross-promotional activities.
And for those eager to join in on the fun, Reds is offering fans the chance to win a year’s supply of Red Rooster chicken just for sharing their tummy rumbles. So, as craveware makes its debut this March, the question is: Are you ready to let your stomach do the talking?
