KFC invented the fried chicken category, but over time it lost relevance within it. While chicken’s popularity surged and competitors introduced bold new flavors, consumers began to see KFC as outdated and bland. The brand was widely recognized and culturally loved, but belief in its taste leadership had faded.
We needed to fire up a “Kentucky Fried Comeback” to change that perception and restore KFC’s authority on flavor. The idea was simple: if KFC wanted people to believe its chicken was bold again, the brand had to behave boldly again. We reignited the legacy of founder Colonel Sanders, positioning him not as a friendly mascot, but as a relentless, obsessive chef devoted to perfect fried chicken.
The Colonel was famous for being obsessed with creating the world’s best tasting chicken & his secret blend of 11 Herbs and Spices. Our campaign needed to embody that same obsession. But instead of just telling people about KFC’s attention to detail, we made them experience it.
At the launch of our brand campaign, KFC secretly embedded 11 hidden clues inside the "Obsession" commercial itself, turning the ad into a nationwide puzzle hunt. If viewers were one of the first 11 to find one of The Colonel’s Secrets, they’d have a chance to win 11 months of free KFC. By rewarding our consumers' obsessions, we transformed passive viewers into active participants and made one person’s obsession become everyone’s obsession.
The “11 Secrets” contest was intentionally designed to require the kind of obsessive attention to detail – both to participate in and potentially win – to mirror the kind of obsessive pursuit the Colonel demonstrated in his quest to achieve the perfect fried chicken.
To ensure the challenge was as meticulous as the Colonel himself, we partnered with professional puzzle masters to design each clue, crafting a layered experience that demanded real skill, obsessive attention, and repeat viewing. Only the first 11 people to uncover all the secrets won free KFC for 11 months and lifetime bragging rights.
The experience began with a QR code disguised on Matty Matheson’s tattoo-covered arm in our TV spot, unlocking a nationwide challenge that invited viewers to hunt for every secret. Each clue required careful decoding:
As the hunt spread, the internet lit up. Fans took to social media to compare theories, share discoveries, and collaborate to solve the clues together. What began as a commercial quickly became a collective cultural puzzle.
Influencers and social amplification fueled participation, transforming a single film into an interactive entertainment experience. The campaign blurred the lines between advertising, gaming, and culture, turning passive viewers into active participants. Viewers became obsessed, mirroring the Colonel’s legendary obsession with his 11 Herbs and Spices, and making the brand impossible to ignore.
“The 11 Secrets” surpassed all expectations. With the first airing of the film on July 14, 2025 through the end of Q3/2025, KFC’s business showed remarkable evidence of a turnaround.
The Colonel helped resuscitate the iconic KFC brand, giving credibility to its great tasting fried chicken. And more and more people discovered that KFC was definitely not bland, but instead, bold and absolutely “Finger Lickin’ Good.®”
