How do impress people that Kentucky Fried Chicken is hand made to precise specifications – or otherwise put, deflect people away from the connotations to which “fast food” gives birth?

Wieden + Kennedy has released a virtual training program for would-be KFC employees, which it has released publicly and with all the PR it could muster.

The Hard Way – a KFC Virtual Training Escape Room is like a creepy online game, creepy being particularly apt in the three teasers, perhaps because KFC’s millennials thrive on horror. Participants are guided through the process of preparing KFC chicken, the way that Colonel Sanders invented 70 years ago (that is, the hard way)…

…in order to escape the kitchen.

Five main steps must be successfully completed – inspecting, rinsing, breading, racking and pressure frying – to escape. The game-like experience takes about ten minutes. The training process that has been used in real US KFC kitchens takes 25.

But according to the press release, it is intended to be used as a real training process. For those who like corporate gobbledegook, here is the official explanation, “KFC will use the VR simulation to supplement its robust, multi-step employee training program, called Chicken Mastery Certification, which provides detailed eLearning and hands-on training for cooks in each of KFC’s kitchens. KFC will provide yet another platform by bringing the VR simulation technology to its regional general manager training classes, quarterly franchise meetings, and employee onboarding at its headquarters.”

“Incorporating playful design and game mechanics that make virtual reality so popular, such as the escape room concept, mini games, surprises and a meticulous Colonel who controls the entire experience, KFC’s VR tool is a fun and interactive add-on to the brand’s training program.”

The Hard Way – a KFC Virtual Training Escape Room was developed by Wieden+Kennedy’s creative technology group, W+K Lodge, and designed for the Oculus platform utilising the Rift headset and Touch controllers.

“What excites us is experimenting with new tools and mediums to tell stories. VR became an obvious choice to create an immersive experience that teaches trainees how to make KFC’s Original Recipe,” stated Jonathan Minori, W+K Lodge design director.