KFC

11 Secrets

Eleven has always been KFC’s magic number: it’s the top-secret blend of herbs and spices that made their chicken iconic. And while those secrets will long remain under lock and key, the brand cracked open a different set of 11 mysteries: an alternate reality game packed with hidden puzzles and encrypted clues for fans to discover.

As part of a bold new campaign, KFC introduced a more serious, obsessive side of Colonel Sanders in a 75-second spot starring chef Matty Matheson. Working with agency Highdive, m ss ng p eces and immersive collective Hexagram created an ARG of 11 interactive puzzles to decode - a few of which were buried in the film itself (take a good look again at Matty Matheson’s arm).

Thousands of sharp-eyed viewers combed frame by frame, hunting down QR codes and visual anomalies that led them on to other clues. The ARG drew in the detail-obsessed, history buffs, and programmers alike, challenging them with everything from Morse code and what3words coordinates to blackout poetry and even a “chicken” coding language.