Update: @edgette22 just got a one-of-a-kind reward for his laser-like focus. FoodBeast reports that the savvy Twitter user, who discovered the fact that KFC only followed 11 accounts on the social network (the five spice girls and six people named "Herb") got an extra-crispy portrait from the fried chicken chain.
But it's not just a standard painting. The house that the Colonel built sent @edgette22 a painting of himself being carried by Colonel Sanders. It comes courtesy of Wieden + Kennedy, an agency that's also known for Old Spice ads, so it's not surprising that this cheeky reward would materialize.
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The Sioux Falls, ND, resident showcased the prize on Twitter (of course), adding #giddyupcolonel to the epic snapshots.
Dreams DO come true. #GiddyUpColonel
— Edge (@edgette22) November 4, 2017
Thanks @kfc pic.twitter.com/a4skf7MIB4
Adweek notes that this isn't the first time that KFC has gone the artsy route with its promotions. For mother's day, the fast-food chain produced a romance novel cover with a bare-armed Sanders. As for any conspiracy theorists that think that he was in on the joke all along, @edgette22 threw his hands up in surrender. If it's on the internet, it has to be true, right?
"The internet is smarter than me," he said in response to critics. Undercover spy or not, @edgette22 has some redecorating to do.
Huh. So apparently I'm an undercover spy that works for @kfc and/or @WiedenKennedy. Weird. I feel like I would know that. But I guess the Internet is smarter than me.https://t.co/MM8zYtK1rk
— Edge (@edgette22) November 7, 2017
This story was originally published on October 22.
As one astute observer of KFC’s Twitter account noticed recently, the franchise follows some, err, interesting accounts.
“KFC follows 11 people,” @edgette22 tweeted out. “5 Spice Girls and 6 guys named Herb.”
If you still aren’t quite getting the joke then allow user @edgette22’s final revelation to illuminate your mind, “11 Herbs & Spices," he concluded. "I need time to process this."
The joke is a callout to KFC's famous chicken recipe which uses, yes you guessed it, 11 herbs and spices.
The tweet has since gone viral with nearly 700,000 likes and counting. A number of users applauded @edgette22’s ability to pick up on such details (because seriously...who’s even paying attention to this?), while others noted the quiet genius of the Colonel's social team.
.@KFC follows 11 people.
— Edge (@edgette22) October 19, 2017
Those 11 people? 5 Spice Girls and 6 guys named Herb.
11 Herbs & Spices. I need time to process this.
“They must have a seasoned marketing person,” said @thebatman012 in response, marking his tweet with two wink emoji. We get it dude.
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They must have a seasoned marketing person. ?? #seewhatIdidthere
— Adam Dzuricky (@thebatman012) October 20, 2017
It’s easy to understand why the tweet garnered so much attention. While a number of us may notice celebrity follows (and unfollows), rarely are a brand’s Twitter “follows” so...conceptually accurate? "The person that runs the KFC account needs a raise," said one user.
the person that runs the KFC account needs a raise. I don't care how much they make now. GIVE THEM A RAISE.
— Samantha O'Pumpkins (@sicklittlejag) October 19, 2017
Not to mention, for anyone lurking around KFC’s Twitter account we’d guess that most wouldn’t stick around long enough to draw such conclusions. Such levels of over-analyzation is typically reserved for exes, current partners, and people we actually know. (Unless you're Beyoncé.)
In age where a number of brands still struggle with social media, this viral tweet proves that KFC just may have mastered the subtle art of Twitter. Though, Wendy’s is also a frontrunner, after expressing what a number of us feel when we realize a supposed friend isn’t following back: “Just realized they weren't following back. Rude. Good joke though,” they tweeted. SO rude.
Just realized they weren't following back.
— Wendy's (@Wendys) October 20, 2017
Rude.
Good joke though.