Back in October of 2017, Twitter user Mike Edgette figured out the mystery behind KFC following only 11 people on Twitter. The hidden easter egg had puzzled many in the past and Edgette¡¯s discovery was enough to bring social media to a standstill.
Edgette figured out the reason behind the fast-food chain¡¯s intentional follower count and wrote in a tweet, ¡°@KFC follows 11 people. Those 11 people? 5 Spice Girls and 6 guys named Herb. 11 Herbs & Spices. I need time to process this.¡±
While these days companies have gone full throttle on social media marketing and interacting with their customers, a few years back the culture wasn¡¯t so open on social media. That¡¯s why when KFC officials contacted Edgette after his remarkable discovery, the micro-blogging sight was set ablaze.
A couple of weeks after Edgette freaked out the internet with his logic, he was sent a special present from the Colonel¡¯s marketing company. It was a giant portrait of Edgette and the Colonel. However, the painting was no ordinary feat.
In the images shared by Edgette after getting the present, the Colonel is carrying Edgette through the wilderness at sunset as he has a fried drumstick in his fist while he points into the abyss from his other hand.?
According to FoodEnvy, this PR Stunt was likely commissioned by Wieden+Kennedy, the same ad agency that brought us the bizarre yet hilarious ¡°Old Spice Guy¡± commercials.??
The iconic portrait was not the only thing that got delivered to Edgette¡¯s address. He also got a signed letter from Colonel Sanders himself thanking the Twitter user for his ¡°service on the front lines of the Internet.¡± With this, Edgette also received 52 $5 (about Rs 400) gift cards. Adding it all up, the user got $260 (Rs 21,000) worth of fried chicken money.?
After the whole thing went viral on the internet, many people started to wonder if Edgette had any ties with the KFC PR team since it all reeked of marketing strategy. However, the user came forward to deny any such theories. Some media outlets pointed out that at the time Edgette worked with a PR company called TallGrass PR but they had nothing to do with the Colonel since KFC was represented by Edelman at the time.?
The internet swooned over the portrait Edgette received for his discovery. One user wrote, ¡°Damn that¡¯s glorious.¡± Another wondered, ¡°And I think they sent you 52 gift cards because the franchise started in 1952? am I right @kfc.¡±