Telecommunications

KFC's Colonel embraces a communications cone of silence

KFC's Colonel embraces a communications cone of silence
KFC's Internet Escape Pod is a Faraday cage turned marketing exercise
KFC's Internet Escape Pod is a Faraday cage turned marketing exercise
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KFC's Internet Escape Pod is a Faraday cage turned marketing exercise
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KFC's Internet Escape Pod is a Faraday cage turned marketing exercise
The dome is topped by a Colonel Sanders made from 8 pound high-density architectural foam and enamel paint
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The dome is topped by a Colonel Sanders made from 8 pound high-density architectural foam and enamel paint
The Internet Escape Pod's door handle takes the form of a KFC drumstick
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The Internet Escape Pod's door handle takes the form of a KFC drumstick
The somewhat questionably positioned Colonel Sanders
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The somewhat questionably positioned Colonel Sanders
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A Faraday cage is a must-have accessory for any conspiracy theorist looking to keep the prying electronic ears of the government from eavesdropping on their activities. But KFC thinks an enclosure with the ability to block electromagnetic fields might appeal to another segment of the community – those looking to escape the e-marketing blitz surrounding Cyber Monday.

Faraday cages are enclosures made of a conductive material that can essentially block the transmission of radio waves. The result is a Millennial's nightmare – a space where Wi-Fi or cellular signals can't penetrate. KFC's cage takes the form or a dome made of steel frame and a stainless-steel mesh that – in a questionable branding move – has a Colonel Sanders draped over the exterior. The branding also extends to the door handle, which takes the form of a KFC chicken drumstick.

The somewhat questionably positioned Colonel Sanders
The somewhat questionably positioned Colonel Sanders

KFC's "Internet Escape Pod" has a diameter of 7 ft (2.1 m) and a height of 6.5 ft (2 m), which should be enough room for you and a few friends to chow down on some KFC distraction-free. But the company doesn't seem overly confident of the commercial potential of the device (read marketing exercise), however, as only one is being sold.

The cage will only ship to a buyer in the US, and given there's no shortage of websites with instructions for how to build your own Faraday cage for much less, the asking price of US$10,000 seems a little steep – even if it is marked down from the originally planned price of $96,485.34 in keeping with the spirit of Cyber Monday.

Source: KFC Ltd

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3 comments
3 comments
ljaques
Hey, it's not April 1st. And even if you used solid copper mesh and solid copper bracing, it shouldn't cost over $700 or so. Pricing is directly in proportion to what KFC charges these days, though, so at least they're consistent. They might want to sell a Safe Space along with that, because anyone spending any time in the Internetless cage would be having withdrawal pains post haste. <g>
Tom Lee Mullins
I think that is very unique. I think it would be great for getting away from it all, even if it is a short time.
I wonder how many would be making one themselves or other companies offering one for sale?
frogola24
i would just shut everything off.