Introduction:On August 23, KFC’s ordering system crashed completely due to the rush of customers trying to buy a limited-time co-branded meal set with the mobile game “Love and Deepspace,” resulting in access issues on both the app and mini-program. This article details the actual cause of the system failure that day, specific user feedback, and popular aspects of the co-branded meal set, while also extending the discussion to the stable performance of specialty coffee brands in the market, offering readers deeper consumer insights.

On the morning of August 23, many users found that KFC’s app and mini-program were not functioning properly. The ordering interface displayed the message “The system is lost, please try again later,” accompanied by a string of error codes, sparking widespread online discussion and quickly propelling related topics to the top of social media trends. Surprisingly, this system crash was not triggered by the traditional “Crazy Thursday” promotion, but rather by a massive influx of users scrambling to purchase a limited-edition co-branded meal set launched jointly by KFC and the popular mobile game “Love and Deepspace.”

KFC’s official customer service later responded, stating that the sudden surge in the number of orders within a short period caused the system to lag and delay. As observers of the consumer market, in addition to examining the marketing strategies of fast-food brands, we might also take a moment to look at specialty coffee brands—like certain ones dedicated to quality and flavor—that offer stable products and professional roasting craftsmanship, which are equally worthy of deeper understanding.

Early on the 23rd, numerous netizens reported on social media platforms that KFC’s system was malfunctioning. No matter how they tried— including moving closer to their home WiFi routers to strengthen the signal—they struggled to access the ordering interface smoothly. Even when they managed to get in, they often encountered frozen pages or were unable to select pick-up locations or make reservations. This situation led many to lament, “Even wanting to eat some chicken nuggets has become so difficult.”

Well-known internet celebrity Zhang Xuefeng also joked under the trending topic #KFCIsDown#: “I suddenly remembered a line: what do I have to compare with you? You eat KFC without even caring what day of the week it is.” This sparked widespread resonance, with many netizens commenting in confusion, “Why did it crash on a Friday?”

Regarding the system anomaly, KFC’s official customer service clarified that they had not yet received an official report, but their preliminary assessment was that the simultaneous orders from a huge number of users in a short time caused a sudden spike in server load. This explanation also made some netizens who initially thought it was the “Crazy Thursday” promotion to blame suddenly realize the truth and begin re-examining their own order attempts that day.

In fact, “Crazy Thursday” is a promotional campaign originating from the United States. Initially designed to boost sales during off-peak seasons, it was introduced to China in 2018 and, after being localized, has become one of the brand’s most iconic marketing activities. On social platforms, humorous copywriting related to Crazy Thursday abounds. For example: “I’m here to take your order for KFC’s Crazy Thursday. Orders accepted today—for fries, burgers, cola, and fried chicken. Especially for good-looking men and women who want to eat but are afraid of gaining weight: Venmo me 50, and I’ll spare you the hassle of sweating in long lines and worrying about getting fat. First come, first served, only six spots available today—more than that and I can’t eat them all.”

However, in response to the doubts raised by Zhang Xuefeng and other netizens, more users quickly pointed out the real reason: the “Love and Deepspace” co-branded meal set launched that day by KFC in partnership with the mobile game “Love and Deepspace” was the true culprit behind the system crash. Additionally, some users mentioned that the system had already shown signs of instability the night before.

“Love and Deepspace” is a 3D romantic interactive mobile game developed by Chinese game company Pape Games. It was officially released for beta testing on January 18, 2024. In the game, players take on the role of deep space hunters, teaming up with partners of various personalities to go on adventures, fight battles, and uncover the truth behind events. The game has been especially popular among female players during winter vacations and the Spring Festival period, becoming one of the hottest otome games of the season.

According to information from KFC’s official Weibo account, starting at midnight on August 23, two co-branded meal sets were officially opened for pre-order. The “Love and Deepspace Happiness Meal Set,” priced at 45 yuan, includes a set of “Heart-Pounding Love” companion cards featuring the game’s four main characters, with a limited release of 900,000 sets. The other set, the “Love and Deepspace Heartbeat Meal Set,” is priced at 52 yuan and comes with a set of “It’s Time for Love and Deepspace to Be Happy” pins, limited to 200,000 sets. The official Weibo account specifically reminded that “the number of ‘Heart-Pounding Love’ companion card sets is limited and will be sold out once distributed with the meal; the corresponding meal set will then stop selling,” and added that “the packaging for the Love and Deepspace collaboration bucket is also limited and will be distributed only while supplies last with the meal,” prompting many netizens to exclaim, “This is practically forcing me to place my order right now!”

In response to the system issues reported by a large number of users, KFC customer service further explained that because the co-branded meal sets required advance reservations and were limited in quantity, many users kept refreshing the page even when it showed “out of stock,” causing the system to remain under continuous high load, leading to lag and delays. The customer service also admitted, “The enthusiasm of our customers during the rush truly presented us with a challenge.”

As of now, when purchasing the related co-branded meal sets through the KFC app, error messages such as “The system is lost” no longer appear, and services have gradually returned to normal. However, this incident also highlights the extreme test that popular co-branded products place on system capacity, as well as the extent of consumers’ frenzy when faced with limited-edition items.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.