Wonder Woman 1984 & Microsoft

Hunt for wonder

Everyone loves the ’80s. It was an era defined by excess. Outrageous fashion. Neon. And MTV. But there was a dark side too. In Wonder Woman 1984, the world is in danger from greed-fueled destruction. And Wonder Woman must turn the technology used for power and corruption into a solution for the greater good.

This power dynamic in the film presented an ideal partnership for Microsoft. Microsoft believes technology should be more than a passive tool. In the right hands and with the right guidance, technology can be harnessed as a superpower for good.

We partnered with Warner Brothers and the Smithsonian to inspire the next generation of coders and creators to not just use technology but solve challenges with it and make the world a better place.

Let the hunt begin

We expanded the film’s universe and called for fans to help Wonder Woman recover her missing sword and shield, testing their valor and technical know-how to unlock code words hidden across the internet.

Over two weeks, we released cryptic posts on social channels that drove fans to Wonder Woman-themed online experiences. Each one a challenge requiring different skills like codebreaking, HTML, and advanced search functions to progress and move the mystery forward.

The sacred file challenge

For the first challenge of the hunt, we posted a glitched image and told our audience that there could be something critical to the mission embedded inside. With a few helpful clues, we prompted our audience to download the image to their desktop for further investigation.

The solution

To solve the challenge, our fans had to edit the file extension from “.jpg” to “.html”. When the image was converted to .html and opened in a browser, it revealed a secret digital dossier. The dossier detailed a secret government project to find supernatural objects linked to gods and goddesses and included the code word to complete the mission.

For your ears only challenge

Our second challenge featured a binary sequence posted on Microsoft social channels. We challenged our audience to figure out what it meeant. When it was decoded, a phone number for Black Gold International customer service was revealed.

Challenge solution

By plugging the code into a binary converter on the web, the user was presented with a series of numbers and letters (8883MXLORD), which upon clever thinking, was revealed to be a phone number. When the number wascalled, the user was greeted by a cryptic message that contained the secret code word.

hijinx / a creative agency · Whistle blower from Black Gold

A few of the other clues

Mission hub

The more puzzles solved and skill learned, the more they earned. Completing each challenge unlocked a new tier of prizes at the mission hub that Wonder Woman fans would love.

But more importantly, the campaign celebrated what’s possible when curious minds meet incredible technology and showed the next generation of coders and creators that their passion has the power to save the world.