Puzzability's groundbreaking Project Architeuthis has won 10 awards for its excellence and marketing effectiveness. The code-solving alternate reality game, created to drive awareness of U.S. Navy Cryptology, played out in real time on multiple social media platforms in May 2014. Project Architeuthis engaged a hard-to-reach micro-target audience and helped the Navy reach its challenging Cryptology recruitment goal, making it the first U.S. military branch to implement an alternate reality game for recruitment purposes. The buzz created by the intricate campaign drew over 4,600 new followers to the Navy Cryptology and Project Architeuthis Facebook pages and generated over 50 news articles worldwide. Awards received so far are:

♦ 2015 Warc Grand Prix for Social Strategy
♦ 2015 Gold Effie Award for Media Idea
♦ 2015 Gold Effie Award for Government, Institutional and Recruitment
♦ 2015 Shorty Award for Best Multi-Platform Campaign
♦ 2015 Shorty Award for Best Use of Gamification
♦ New York Festivals Award for Creative Effectiveness
♦ Target Award for Business and Consumer Services
♦ 2015 D Show Award for Best of Innovative Marketing
♦ AICP NEXT Award (shortlist)
♦ 2015 Webby Award for Best Use of Social Media (official honoree)

The most recent award, the Warc Grand Prix for Social Strategy, is the global competition's highest honor. For that prize, Project Architeuthis beat out campaigns for such brands as Coca-Cola, Pepsi Max, Nestlé, Chobani, and Adidas.

Puzzability was hired by Navy ad agency Campbell Ewald to create the game. Campbell Ewald captured the nature of the immersive story and puzzles of Project Architeuthis in a three-minute video you can see on their parent company's page here.