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Pop Secret Labs Solves Serious Popcorn Problem

Every week, more than 400 people tweet about burning their popcorn, according to Deutsch LA. That’s why Pop Secret, with the help of its agency Deutsch LA, has come up with a cool and useful new app for popcorn eaters.

The app is called Perfect Pop, and it helps users microwave the perfect bag of popcorn without burning it. Every microwave is different, and different brands of popcorn offer different popping instructions, which leads to a lot of people burning their popcorn. According to Jeff Sweat, svp of communications at Deutsch LA, burnt popcorn is the No. 1 consumer complaint faced by the microwave popcorn category, but now Perfect Pop is solving this serious popcorn-world problem.

As vp and creative direct David DeRoma explained, the app works by listening to the the popping sounds of kernels once someone puts a bag in the microwave. All the user has to do is open up the app and place the phone near the microwave. When there is more than a two-second interval between pops, that means it’s time to turn off the microwave. The app plays special popcorn graphics and music to notify the user when the popcorn is ready.

The app is another “kernel” from Pop Secret Labs, the brand’s online home of its fun and useful projects and tools for at-home movie watchers. Other things that have come from Pop Secret Labs over the past year include Pop Search, a Chrome extension that lets you search the best places to watch any movie online, Find Your Critic, which matches you to the movie critic who shares your taste in movies and Pop Over, which helps you organize a themed movie night.

“At Pop Secret Labs, we’ve been focusing on creating tools that work and help people with at-home movie watching,” said DeRoma. “There’s nothing worse than burning a bag of popcorn and that smell stinks up the house. This seemed like a smart solve for making the movie-watching experience better at home.”

Watch the autotuned burned popcorn song video that features those complaining tweets about burned popcorn and shows the Perfect Pop works. The app is available for free download at the App Store.

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