Had Popeye's just come out with a regular TV ad about their new chicken sandwich, there would be no hype. But the moment they went on social media, threw the gauntlet at CFA, and created a "challenge", that's when the craze started.
That's not hype. That's advertising. The hype was organic as it should be when the best fried chicken is finally placed on a bun and sold to the masses.
BTW, order it online before you get there, folks. I walked in, waded through the crowd and walked out today with no issues.