Unlock Me If You Can: The Rise of IRL Brand Treasure Hunts

A Trend Desk on Brands Getting Physical (and why we’re falling for the chase)

The change in how we perceive brands is wild. We’ve gone from gazing up at bright, flashy billboards and screens—once seen as the peak of modern advertising—to now walking right past them. Not even a glance. That kind of noise used to feel like tech magic. Now it’s just… wallpaper. Pretty, loud wallpaper.

We’ve adapted. Our attention evolved.

And what we need now isn’t just more color.

It’s a new kind of chase.

Enter the hunting ground.

This is where I stop thinking like a strategist and start listening to the kid in me—the one still clutching an imaginary map, chasing clues through the backyard, convinced the next chapter of the story is just one step away.

“You shouldn’t internalize or take things personally when building brand strategy,” they say.

Fair. But also… maybe no.

Because branding is getting personal.

We’re starting to care again.

And if you really listen to that kid, you’ll remember they don’t care about KPIs or clean grids. They want honesty. They want fantasy. They want a world to get lost in. They want a story to feel real.

We want magic.

And that’s what got me thinking about treasure hunts. How have brands pulled them off before? Where did this all start? I also had delicious scrambled eggs this morning.

The term “easter egg” came from a 1980 video game, Adventure, where a rogue developer hid his name in a secret room. The higher-ups weren’t thrilled. But players? Players lost their minds. A hidden world inside a game? That you had to stumble into?

That was rebellion dressed as reward.

And today’s best brand storytelling?

It’s channeling that same fictional freedom.

HBO’s Westworld: The Maze Alexa Experience

HBO took the treasure hunt into your living room with Westworld: The Maze, a voice-first quest on Amazon Alexa. Developed by 360i for the show’s Season 2 finale, it dropped you into a choose-your-own-adventure in a Western dystopia—400 twists, 60 possible paths, 11,000 lines of script voiced by original cast members like Jeffrey Wright and Angela Sarafyan. Fans didn’t just watch the Maze; they inhabited it—and stuck around for 14 minutes on average, proving that the deeper you draw people in, the harder they’ll fight to stay.

Why it worked: Alexa wasn’t used as a media novelty—it was the perfect host for a world about artificial intelligence and ethics. The tech itself became part of the immersion. Genius.

Google: The Original Digital Egghead

Google has long mastered the art of the digital Easter egg, turning its products into low-key playgrounds for the curious. Type “do a barrel roll” and your screen spins. Search “askew” and everything tilts. Even the Chrome dinosaur—once just a placeholder for no internet—became a cult-favorite game. These aren’t headline-making campaigns; they’re quiet rewards for those who explore. That’s what makes them genius: they transform a search engine into something more human—an interface that winks back.

Why it works: Google is a search engine. It’s about curiosity, experimentation, and exploration. Every Easter egg is a wink to that mission. Playful utility. Knowledge with a punchline. 

Spotify – Wrapped “Listening Personalities” & Easter Eggs

Everyone talks about Wrapped like it’s just stats, but Spotify has been sneaking little narrative nuggets into the UX — from surprise animations, ultra-personalized messages, to their 2022 “Listening Personality” archetypes (like “Adventurer” or “The Replayer”). It gamifies your own taste. Some users even discovered hidden codes in their playlists or billboards teasing artists’ new drops — a full circle between self-discovery and sneak marketing.

spotify wrapped campaign showcasing different stats about listening. Coral red background.

spotify wrapped campaign showcasing different stats about listening. Coral red background.

Why it works: Spotify’s Easter eggs work because they blur the line between product and personality — and in doing so, they make the user feel seen, clever, and in on the joke. 

So what’s the big deal with hiding things?

It’s simple: the brands that stick aren’t the ones screaming for attention — they’re the ones whispering just loud enough for the curious to lean in.

Easter eggs, treasure hunts, secret modes — they aren’t just gimmicks. They’re invitations. Clues that say, “Hey, this world goes deeper if you’re willing to look.”

And maybe that’s the whole point. In a marketing world obsessed with metrics and reach, the real flex is building something that people want to chase. Not because they have to — but because it’s fun.

So go ahead. Hide something. Build a world. Let the weirdos find the way in.

Thank you for spending time at the Trend Desk