Tag: DDB Sydney

Australia – With the arrival of the Hot Honey Sauce on the menu of Macca’s, the global fast-food chain has launched a new distinct and delicious campaign as well as a t-shirt collab to encourage Aussies to ‘embrace the drip’.

Drawing on the modern cultural meaning of ‘drip’—which refers to stylish clothing—while also playing on its literal connection to the gooey Hot Honey sauce, Macca’s has partnered with the hottest Australian streetwear brand Culture Kings, to create a Hot Honey range inspired tee. Fans can buy the tees at Culture Kings Melbourne and online from Wednesday 19 March until they sell out, at which point the only way to get the custom drip is by ordering Hot Honey via the MyMacca’s app. 

It kicked off on Monday 17 March, when the collab was announced to fans along with a teaser to build hype, with Macca’s and Culture Kings dripping out their Instagram feeds, in the Hozier Lane store in Melbourne, and digital out-of-home placements. 

The fully integrated campaign–done alongside DDB Sydney–now hits screens, billboards, social feeds and more from today. With a sneaker drop-style launch event on Saturday 22 March at Culture Kings’ flagship store in Hozier Lane, fans can customise their t-shirt to make their drip even more one-of-a-kind. 

Amanda Nakad, marketing director of menu and brand for McDonald’s Australia, said, “You asked. We listened. Macca’s has seen more and more demand for chicken and we are always looking for ways to grow our range, so we can continue offering our customers even more choice when it comes to chicken. 

She added, “Macca’s runs have never been sweeter and we know when a new range drops, you and your crew are on your way. Our new Hot Honey range is a little sweet and a little sticky but will have you willing to risk it all, so our advice is – embrace the drip.” 

Meanwhile, Jack Nunn, Creative Partner at DDB Sydney, commented, “We borrowed from sneaker drop culture in how the campaign shows up and feels. It’s exciting and really fresh. Plus, I’m pretty keen to see Grimace rock one of the tees, I reckon he could pull it off.”

Australia – As Aussies get back to the grind, Macca’s is reminding office workers that there’s a simple way to bring a little joy to routine, with eye-catching spreadsheet artworks in an out-of-home campaign.

Part of a wider “Return to routine-ish” campaign from DDB Sydney and OMD Sydney, the out-of-home ads target CBD office workers, showing there are more delicious things to crunch than numbers.

Built by certified ‘freak-in-the-spreadsheets’, Adam Bentley, DDB Sydney’s Creative Technologist, the artworks feature three iconic Macca’s products, prompting a cheeky post-meeting, office break or after-work Macca’s run.

The ads are running in more than 760 sites in and around the Sydney CBD, including digital OOH, office building lobbies, and even small-format elevator screens.

Jack Nunn, creative partner at DDB Sydney, said, “There’s nothing quite like a Macca’s run to break the humdrum of the day. With playful visuals and clever media placements, this campaign will cut through like a Guillotine on 80gsm printer paper.”

Meanwhile, Emily Bosler, managing partner at OMD Sydney, commented, “We are executing a tactical, programmatic digital out-of-home strategy to drive contextual relevance during key moments of back-to-work routine. Strategically selecting outdoor in high foot traffic CBD areas and in-office environments, allows us to effectively reach the ‘back to work’ audience and tempt them with a Macca’s run.”

Australia – McDonald’s in Australia is giving fans the chance to show their love for their favourite Macca’s side, with the new McSmart Meal campaign–done alongside DDB Sydney–featuring a selection of fan favourites. 

This year, customers can personalise their meal more than ever, getting a Cheeseburger, Small Fries and a Small Soft Drink, and then choosing from four iconic McDonald’s sides – 3pc Chicken McNuggets, a Cheeseburger, a Chicken ‘n’ Cheese, or a Small Sundae – all for $6.95. 

The campaign also celebrates this next level of choice with some unique personalities demonstrating their passion for some of Macca’s most-loved sides, whether they’re Sundae stans, Nug lovers, Cheeseburger buffs or Chicken ‘n’ Cheese fiends. 

Tobi Fukushima, head of value, promotions and delivery Marketing at McDonald’s, said, “We know our fans love variety and value, so we’ve added more choice to the McSmart Meal. This campaign is designed to give our customers the flexibility to enjoy their meal, their way.” 

Meanwhile, Jack Nunn, Creative Partner at DDB Sydney, said, “McSmart is a great deal and tapping into Macca’s fandom has been a great deal of fun.” 

Available for a limited time, the McSmart Meal campaign runs until March 4th. 2025. 

Australia – DDB Sydney and Mango Communications have launched a campaign that offers fans the opportunity to own one of 2,000 pairs of Macca’s renowned limited edition Nuggies boots, paying respect to the boot shape’s ultimate dippability. 

Those who want to enter must buy some Chicken McNuggets and locate one in the shape of a boot. They then scan the QR code on their pack after grabbing a McNugget. To access the entry form and scan the correct morsel, users can use the phone’s camera to use the scanner app. This promotion is the first of its type to employ Google Gemini’s generative AI chicken nugget identification as a mechanism for users to submit their own material.

After weeks of testing (and tasting) using Google Gemini, the AI scanner software has been trained to identify not only the ideal boot-shaped Chicken McNugget but also to differentiate it from other shapes of the same product and items. 

#BootPursuit started this week and will last three weeks, with 2,000 pairs of Nuggies boots up for grabs.

The new campaign is being implemented throughout Macca’s locations countrywide, with backing from social media, public relations, influencer relationships, and sponsorship initiatives. 

Speaking about the campaign, Matt Chandler, executive creative director, DDB Sydney, said, “The boot-shaped Chicken McNugget is a fan favourite. It always tops the poll for number one nugget. It was time to reward Australia’s boot enthusiasts. The leaps we’re seeing in AI are remarkable, writing Shakespeare, generating news, and now analysing Chicken McNuggets. What a time to be alive.”

Meanwhile, Chloe Brannagan, McDonald’s Australia brand manager, said, “We’re thrilled to be bringing Nuggies back, and to give fans the opportunity to get their feet in them. Limited edition Macca’s merch has always been hot property, so to give them away with fun use of tech is the icing on the cake. Or the breading on the nugget, so to speak.”

Sydney, Australia – Advertising agency DDB Sydney has just announced the appointment of Rupert Price as its new chief strategy officer.

As the new chief strategy officer at DDB Sydney, Price will lead the planning department in its sharp focus on effectiveness delivered through the power of emotionally charged creativity across clients such as Westpac, Volkswagen Group and McDonald’s.

With a 25-year career background in agencies across London and New Zealand, Price has spent the last 12 years as DDB Group Aotearoa’s chief strategy officer and will now continue his momentum in Sydney.

In his time at DDB Group Aotearoa, Price has been instrumental in the agency’s success, with numerous accolades and achievements ranging from Cannes Gold Lions to a coveted D&AD Black Pencil. In addition, he has steered the agency to four NZ Effies Agency of the Year titles, as well as winning many effectiveness awards at both regional and global shows.

During his career, Price has also worked with Interbrand as director of strategy, head of planning at Ogilvy NZ and Ogilvy London and was board planning director at Saatchi & Saatchi London.

Speaking on his appointment, Price said, “It was a tough decision to leave the agency I’ve called home for the last 12 years but the opportunity to work with the Sydney team to continue their trajectory was too good to pass up.”

Meanwhile, Sheryl Marjoram, CEO at DDB Group Sydney, commented, “I couldn’t be happier to have Rupert joining the team. We’ve long been admirers of his impact and momentum across the Tasman and it’s always a special moment to be able to recruit much loved and respected DDB’ers within the network. His passion, commitment and results speak for themselves and I can’t wait for everyone to see what’s next for DDB Sydney.”

Sydney, Australia – Popular automotive brand Volkswagen in Australia has teamed up with creative agency DDB Sydney with consultation from the University of Melbourne and Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) to develop ‘RooBadge’ an audio deterrent device against kangaroos. In addition, following three years of development, moving vehicle trials for this will now also commence.

It is hoped that Volkswagen’s ‘RooBadge’ will help reduce collisions with kangaroos. These comprise some 90 per cent of on-road wildlife accidents in this country. 

Connecting to an in-car app, ‘RooBadge’ calibrates a vehicle’s GPS coordinates with specifically developed kangaroo species distribution data. The ‘badge’ itself is a circular disc some 17cm in diameter that acts as protective shields, replacing the current Volkswagen roundel/badge. A mixture of natural and artificial sounds is mixed in real time and projected in a high frequency audio signal from the front of the vehicle. 

Following extensive trials, permission has been obtained from The University of Melbourne Office of Research Ethics and Integrity to move into Stage Four trials, involving kangaroos in the wild. While supposed deterrent devices have existed for some time, none has been scientifically developed or proven.

Melbourne University’s Associate Professor Graeme Coulson said, “[RooBadge does] something no kangaroo deterrent has been able to do before. It’s difficult to produce a single sound that will deter all kangaroos, because the species are different to each other. Using advancement in car technology we can change the sound deterrent by GPS location.”

He added, “We have worked on sounds that will be meaningful to Eastern Grey Kangaroos, things like dingo calls, alarm calls made by birds and the alarm thumps that kangaroos make to warn each other. We will then be able to tweak the sound for other species.”

David Jackson, executive creative director at DDB Digital, who led the project for DDB Sydney, said that what started as a speaker in a VW badge to reduce animal collisions on our roads, became an innovative, data and science-driven project. 

“Over time this concept just grew and grew. By partnering with The University of Melbourne and WIRES we were able to build a protective audio shield that will have real impact on keeping people safe on our roads. We have also worked with The University of Melbourne Office of Research Ethics and Integrity and industry leaders to develop RooBadge through real-world tests to help optimise our hardware, software and sounds,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Ryan Davies, director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, commented, “Why is Volkswagen investing time and energy in this project? Because we can and it’s the right thing to do. A collision with a ‘roo can be devastating. It is not easily forgotten once seen, and certainly not if experienced. Then there’s the possibility of a front-on collision with an approaching vehicle at country road speeds when one driver is trying to avoid striking a kangaroo. These are even more likely to have a fatal human outcome.” 

Lastly, Matt Chandler, executive creative director at DDB, said that innovation was at the forefront of this campaign for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and has been a huge commitment from the DDB team over the past four years. 

“The team were incredibly passionate about this project from the start and we have since seen four years of deep innovation and product development to deliver something that is not only meaningful but protects Australians driving VW utes on our roads. The list of people who have cared for this project over the years is long, and it is testament to the passion and belief the agency has had for it, led by the brilliant and inexhaustible David Jackson,” he said.