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.

The puzzles lit up the online ARG collective, where solvers traded theories, decoded secrets, and helped each other get closer to the prize. Fans who were first to crack the code won some sweet prizes; proof that obsession, just like the Colonel’s, always pays off.