Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), in cooperation with Yum! Brands, contracted with Simple Media to help bring awareness to International Fried Chicken Day. The intent was to highlight KFC’s corporate brand signature across global markets, but to do so in a fun and engaging way that would assume viral resonance and transcend typical geographical cultural conventions. With the unique holiday rapidly approaching, concept-to-completion would have to adhere to an exceptional tight deadline.

Simple Media wanted to create something that would pair this fandom to an “in the moment” experience not only reminding everyone why fried chicken is so darn enjoyable, but more so, why ordering KFC right now is the perfect way to celebrate this important, if obscure, holiday.

The solution would need to be fun, engaging, accessible to mobile, ripe for sharing, and celebratory in nature. An Augmented Reality (AR) mobile video game stories filter seemed the perfect fit.

Using Instagram as the platform, Simple Media created an enjoyable and quirky “filter” that would facilitate an immersive gameplay experience. Rapid sharing was also key.

Using a mobile device’s front-facing camera, the filter would integrate the user’s image within a playful cascade of falling chicken drumsticks and chicken sandwiches. As these tasty treats dropped randomly from the top of the screen, the user would be able to open their mouth, reposition their body, and “catch” (eat) KFC’s finest while racking up points in the process. (Of course, easy sharing and competing for the highest score would also be encouraged.)

The filter highlighted the use of progressive technologies like Augmented Reality even at corporate (not product specific) levels of marketing which are often ignored by the general consumer base. Moreover, it brought Fried Chicken Day Awareness to a whole new level, and in a way fans won’t soon forget.

Simple Media created all elements, including the signature KFC Bucket Scoreboard.

Metrics were taken within the first seven (7) days of launch, and measured across two select geographies: Italy (Italia), and the US. Accordingly, impressions in Italy reached nearly twenty-five thousand (24.8K), with launches of the filter outpacing impressions by roughly 27%. Over 76% of those that saved content to their phone also shared it to their Instagram stories.

In the U.S., impressions were lower at 12.2K impressions with launches hovering at 9%. Of these 1.1K users, however, 98% were actively sharing saved content to their Instagram stories.