MUMBAI: Kentucky Fried Chicken - KFC - has flagged off an exciting contest to promote its 'Bigger, Better Popcorn Chicken'.

Riding on the reality television wave, the Yum Brands owned KFC is asking its US based customers to create their own home spun, 30-second reality TV commercial spot and submit them by 23 September to qualify for a cash prize of $10,000 and a one-time airing of the commercial on prime-time television in early October.

Another $5,000 each has been set side for two runners-up to the contest. The winners will be declared at the end of the contest period on the KFC website - www.kfc.com.

Through the contest, which according to a Reuters report sprung from KFC's public relations team, the fast food chain is not only harnessing the concept of reality television in this latest promotion drive but is also seeking to draw in direct audience participation, creating a fresh ideas bank in the process.

KFC's new promo drive comes at a time when programmers and advertisers are taking up the idea of reality television like never before. And does it work? Closer home, our music channels stand the greatest testimony to that,Channel [V] ' s Popstars and MTV 's Bakra being the prominent examples.