Tag: McDonald's

Indonesia – McDonald’s Indonesia has tapped Leo Burnett Indonesia for its latest campaign, creatively reimagining iconic nail-biting movie scenes to highlight their new ‘Menu Receh’—a delicious way to get rid of loose change.

The ‘Get Rid of It’ campaign highlights McDonald’s Indonesia’s ‘Menu Receh’ (Loose Change Menu), which offers a variety of affordable small bites, drinks, desserts, burgers, and rice bowls, all starting at just Rp 5,000 (USD $0.30).

Created by Leo Burnett Indonesia, the accompanying campaign film humorously exaggerates scenes where characters are hindered by loose change, such as coins spilling and jangling, to cause distractions and suspense. 

Despite the rise of digital transactions, cash remains widely used in Indonesia, with small change often overlooked as a hassle. The advertising agency tapped into this insight, using loose change as a symbol of McDonald’s commitment to affordability—transforming a nuisance into a valuable currency to drive restaurant visits. 

Ravi Shanker, chief creative officer at Leo Burnett Indonesia, said, “As a film-loving nation, we loved the idea of replicating blockbuster scenes to show that even tiny sums of money can unlock feel-good experiences for a Gen Z audience, who don’t have much money to spare, yet ironically, don’t value their spare change.” 

Michael Hartono, marketing director at McDonald’s Indonesia, added, “Value has become crucial in today’s tough economic climate. In the digital payment age, we understand that the use of loose change has become less desirable and somewhat neglected. However, we’ve discovered a shift in the meaning of ‘loose change’ that goes beyond the transactional to refer to anything that’s affordable and fun. We used this insight to build relevance for our ‘value’ platform, as it goes beyond mere transactions at McDonald’s.” 

The importance of DOOH campaigns for fast-food chains cannot be understated, especially in an era where digital media consumption is high. With DOOH, brands can strategically target specific demographics and geographical areas, maximizing the impact of their marketing efforts. 

The ability to leverage location-based data allows fast-food chains to deliver contextually relevant content to consumers, ensuring that their messages resonate with the right audience at the right time. 

Moreover, the integration of DOOH campaigns with mobile and social media platforms enables seamless cross-channel marketing, further enhancing brand visibility and amplifying the reach of their promotional content.

In this latest case study, we take a look at how McDonald’s, one of the biggest fast-food chains in the world, utilised DOOH campaigns in partnership with Moving Walls to entice users to their menu, programmed carefully to match the real-time weather conditions in the Philippines.

The Challenge

Popular fast-food chain McDonald’s aimed at launching a new campaign where special “Crave and Claim Deals” would be made available on their mobile app based on real-time weather conditions. This was being done to help their customers keep cool as The Philippines was about to enter hotter days. The brand wanted to communicate these offers through multiple channels but still be able to reveal them only based on changing conditions.

The Objective

The promotion would already be running on the McDonald’s Mobile App tailored to the user’s local weather. The objective of the campaign was to drive users to check for these offers and utilize them.

The Solution

The out-of-home (OOH) media channel was seen as the ideal mass-reach medium to communicate these offers and influence users to check for the offers.  The brand and their agency partnered with us, Moving Walls Philippines, to leverage Programmatic Digital OOH (DOOH) and be able to serve dynamic creatives based on live temperature changes so that consumers could “Beat the Heat”. Programmatic DOOH was also ideal for such a campaign as the deal period was only a few days.

Moreover, the campaign required a few things to align – live local weather, multiple deal creatives, and multiple screens across 7 locations. The campaign was run through Moving Audiences (MAX) platform and we connected to open weather feeds and created custom ad-serving rules.

The Results

The integration of DOOH, the brand app, and digital ads with real-time weather data had a significant impact on McDonald’s “Crave and Claim Deals”. The campaign achieved close to One Million impressions in just 10 days. Due to in-campaign optimization, the campaign also delivered 152% additional measured impressions vs the initial forecast.

In addition, the programmatic DOOH campaign leveraged the powerful capabilities of the MAX platform for precise audience targeting and strategic planning. By utilizing MAX, the campaign successfully reached a predominantly adult audience, with a slight skew toward male viewers. This data-driven approach ensured that the campaign’s content resonated effectively with the desired consumer demographic, maximizing the impact and relevance of the campaign.

Lastly, the campaign demonstrated a 9% lift in the audience exposed to the ad visiting McDonald’s establishments during the campaign. This was measured by observing DOOH-exposed mobile devices that were also seen at McDonald’s establishments.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Eugene Lee, most recently the regional chief marketing officer for Asia at McDonald’s, has announced that he has been promoted to the role of international marketing officer at McDonald’s for its international developmental licensed (IDL) segment.

In a LinkedIn post, Lee said that in his new role, he will be overseeing the fast food chain’s international regions outside of the US. These markets include Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Asia.

“I’m extremely excited and humbled by the elevated responsibilities, and looking forward to interacting with our Marketing Teams from across the globe,” he said.

Lee has been with McDonald’s for around 14 years. During his recent stint as the company’s regional CMO for Asia, he has been vital in the Asian campaign for the then-anticipated meal collaboration with K-pop group BTS.

Prior to joining McDonald’s, he was with local food and catering company The SOULed OUT Group.

Manila, Philippines – An online map website generator that lets users keep track of which provinces they have visited across the Philippines has recently been all over Filipinos’ social media feeds. Several local brands in the country were quick to jump onto the trend and chart their own proof of Philippine jet setting — or rather something else – a witty jab at the map visualisation if you will. 

The website, created by Singapore-based Filipino software developer Denz Del Villar, allows users to generate a map of the Philippines – a personal and colour-coded representation of the various provinces the user has either lived in, stayed, visited, passed, or alighted from. Using these metrics, the map also generates a numberical level determined by the nature of these visits. Each category selected – whether lived or passed on – carries a numerical score, and when added up, results into the travel level of the user.

Following its virality, audiences see local brands do their own trend jacking one after the other. A huge amount of these social media posts come from several banks in the country, both traditional and digital banks. Banks such as LandBank, MetroBank, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), and GoTyme Bank have posted their own take on the map.

Meanwhile, popular convenience store chain 7-Eleven also jumped into the bandwagon. 

In more wittier posts, fast food chain McDonald’s took on the trend, replacing the levels with what users can ‘expect’ from their chains in different provinces. Even local pharmaceutical company Katinko also posted a witty post using the map template, showing that all aunts and uncles across the country have used their products.

Katinko Social Media Post
McDonald’s Social Media Post

Meanwhile, entertainment entities have also joined in the fun. The popular public affairs show Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho from GMA Network shows that their team had already visited all of the provinces across the country to cover feature stories. Moreover, the local band Ben&Ben has also joined in the trend, showcasing which provinces they already performed in. 

Ben&Ben Social Media Post
Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho Social Media Post

However, not all brands that crafted their own take on the map were received in a positive light. A social media post by land developer Camella Homes, which used such template to showcase the provinces they have current land developments,has inadvertently caused a backlash. Many netizens pointed out that some of the lands being used by were formerly agricultural lands, more specifically rice fields. The social media post has been deleted since.

It’s that time of the year again: April Fools’ Day just recently happened, where practical jokes and gimmicks are seemingly normalised. And of course, brands are not late in riding this day of humour and jokes–all in the name of bringing laughs to their customers and presenting themselves as a more ‘approachable’ brand.

In the Philippines, brands are no stranger to these quirky April Fools’ gags, and so we listed some of the wittiest campaigns they did for this particular day.

Jollibee

The popular Filipino fast-food chain has its own April Fools’ gag in some of its markets. In the United Kingdom, it announced that it is rebranding to ‘Jolliwasp’, a gag referring to the change of the animal mascot from a bee to a wasp. In Canada, it announced that it is launching a limited-edition Jolly Spaghetti sandwich.

The Jolly Spaghetti sandwich from Jollibee Canada
The ‘Jolliwasp’ rebrand at Jollibee United Kingdom

Angkas

If the popular motorcycle-hailing app is known for just motorcycles, is there a new vehicle they can tap next? As a gag, Angkas has announced the launch of ‘Bang-kas’, a play on the word bangka (vernacular for boat) and includes boat-related services such as boat-hailing, package delivery via boat, and we kid you not–watersports.

McDonald’s

Ever got that unsure moment when you were asked ‘what would you like to eat?’ Worry not, because these latest April Fools’ packaging gags from McDonald’s Philippines encapsulate that feeling. Some of the phrases include kahit ano (just anything), ikaw bahala (up to you), and iniisip ko pa (I’m still thinking).

The McDonald’s PH Packaging Gag – Ewan (I Don’t Know)
The McDonald’s PH Packaging Gag – Kahit Ano (Just Anything)

Pizza Hut

Playing on the recent Internet craze on grilled balut (cooked fertilised duck egg), the Philippine arm of Pizza Hut has announced that it is launching a stuffed crust pizza with grilled balut.

Chooks to Go

This popular Filipino roast chicken brand just seemingly ignored its tagline Masarap kahit walang sauce (Delicious even without sauce), as it now announced that its roast chicken will now include a separate sauce packet for each purchase.

Trust

This April Fools gag will just make you ask “why”, as the condom brand Trust has said that it is launching a fried chicken-flavoured condom.

Taipei, Taiwan – Fast food chain McDonald’s and agency Leo Burnett Taiwan have teamed up to create donation wallpapers, which promotes a refreshing method to the customary practice amongst Taiwanese, where purchasing receipts are dropped in ‘donation boxes’. These receipts then benefit charities like that of McDonald’s Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) as a major source of income. 

The campaign was launched as a digital alternative to the staple Uniform Invoice Lottery in Taiwan, which allows customers to get a ticket to enter the government’s Receipt Lottery, with prizes ranging from NT$200 to NT$10m. Said lottery uses physical receipts to enter, but with the rise of digital payments, they have all but disappeared, out of sight, and therefore out of mind.

To launch this campaign, McDonald’s and Leo Burnett Taiwan have tapped up-and-coming new media artists to create a series of downloadable wallpapers and inject an engaging twist to the routinary receipt donation. With 35 designs to choose from, every donation wallpaper includes a barcode, and when scanned at any cashier, the receipt is automatically donated to RMHC.

Donation Wallpapers can be scanned at retailers across Taiwan, making every transaction in any store an opportunity to donate to RMHC.

Jin Yang, creative partner at Leo Burnett Taiwan, said, “Gen Z can’t live without their phone, and the screen they see most of all is their mobile phone wallpaper. With this in mind, we came up with an idea that makes receipt donation impossible to ignore – every time someone wakes up their phone, it’s a reminder to do good.” 

Manila, Philippines – McDonald’s in the Philippines is jumping into the gaming space for its latest campaign. Called ‘Unbranded Menu’, the new campaign aims challenge gamers to hunt for McDonald’s ‘food-alikes’ across video games and then swap their inedible discoveries for actual McDonald’s items.

The campaign, made in collaboration with advertising agency Leo Burnett, began when the Philippines’ popular gaming personality Alodia Gosiengfiao found a Big Mac look-a-like inside Grand Theft Auto V and posted a screengrab of it. She then challenged her eight million followers to do the search. 

More gamers and streamers joined in and tagged their discoveries #ThisIsMcDonalds, which signalled the start of the hunt. 

Some of the Philippines’ top gamers and their fans are also already sharing pictures of unbranded and logo-free virtual food items that resemble the iconic French Fries, Big Mac, and Quarter Pounder sandwiches, amongst other McDonald’s food items. These have been found in classic video games like The Sims and Resident Evil; online multiplayer games like Fall Guys, Roblox, and PUBG; role-playing games such as Genshin Impact, Final Fantasy, The Last of Us, and Persona; and giant titles like Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, Cyberpunk 207, and Guardians of the Galaxy.

Raoul Panes, chief creative officer at Publicis Groupe Philippines and Leo Burnett Manila, said that the campaign was targeted at connecting with the Philippines’ 40+ million strong gaming community.

“Then we stumbled upon an amazing discovery: so much food in the gaming multiverse looks just like McDonald’s products, despite being unbranded. Why not hack this unbranded space to build brand love for McDonald’s through the gamer behavior of screen-grabbing milestones and discoveries for posterity or bragging rights?” he added.

To fuel the hunt, McDonald’s has also been giving gaming credits, consoles, and other gaming merchandise in exchange for screengrabs of food-alikes with the #ThisIsMcDonalds tag.

“It has been fascinating to follow this virtual hunt and watch gamers exchanging virtual food clones for the real deal. Leo Burnett’s idea taps into the relationship between gamers and food, which is a big part of gaming culture, and helps us to connect with a huge gaming audience in the Philippines and beyond,” Oliver Rabatan, McDonald’s Philippines chief marketing officer, further explained.

Jakarta, Indonesia – Fast food chain McDonald’s in Indonesia has released a new ad for its new burgers–but with a twist of convincing people to taste a burger from a different part of the world instead of just promoting it as is.

The ad, conceptualised by Leo Burnett Indonesia, the film features real, relatable moments in a witty and heart-warming manner, as well as dedicated to those who are left behind, stuck at work, nursing injuries or grounded by inclement weather.

The campaign is directed by Kiran Koshy of Directors Think Tank in Malaysia. 

Ravi Shanker, chief creative officer at Leo Burnett Indonesia, said, “This was the challenge posed to the team at Leo Burnett. A couple of brainstorms later, we stumbled upon an insight. Indonesians too were bitten by the travel bug. However, not everyone can travel because life in the form of financial constraints, work pressure, family commitments or climate change was getting in the way. While travelling was a possibility in the future, right now many were missing out.”

Meanwhile, Michael Hartono, director of marcomm, CBI and digital at McDonald’s Indonesia, commented, “Taste of the World’ has always been a great platform for McDonald’s and we always look for fresh, new ways to drive relevance. We are all observing how after two years, everyone really wants to experience the true flavours of the world by travelling – but for those of us stuck at home due to practical realities, we really wanted to establish that this delicious menu is available from the comfort of your homes.”

Manila, Philippines – Global fast-food chain McDonald’s has released a new campaign that pays tribute to the great lengths parents will do to strengthen their bond with their children.

The campaign, called ‘Happy Moments’ is conceptualised by creative agencies Leo Burnett Dubai and Leo Burnett Manila. The pictures were photographed by Ale Burset, who is based in Madrid.

Oliver Rabatan, AVP for marketing and channels lead at McDonald’s Philippines, said, “For over 40 years, McDonald’s Happy Meal has been an ally to generations of parents seeking to share happy moments with their children. As a brand, celebrating our role as the home of happy family moments is a theme we keep returning to. Our latest instalment pays special tribute to devoted dads in the lead up to Father’s Day.”

Meanwhile, Raoul Panes, chief creative officer at Leo Burnett Manila, commented, “Thanks to our Power of One model, this has been an amazing collaboration across borders. With Ale’s candid, unpolished treatment, we have created a campaign that feels uniquely understated for this market. Together with McDonald’s Philippines, we look forward to celebrating life’s moments of happiness for many years to come.”

Lastly, Kalpesh Patankar, chief creative officer at Leo Burnett Dubai, added, “There often lies something extraordinary in the most simple, everyday moments. We wanted to capture the charming joyfulness of life’s most cherished moments by simply showing a parent and child on their way back home from McDonald’s. Real streets and authentic photography become the backdrop for truly happy moments captured in the most understated way, as though through the lens of a passer-by.”

The campaign is now running in print and point-of-sale during the lead-up to Father’s Day on 19 June. 

Chicago, USA – Global fast food chain McDonald’s has officially announced that they are now exiting Russia, 30 years since they first opened their Russian branch in 1990. As part of that exit, McDonald’s is selling its Russian business.

The fast food chain had previously announced its suspension of operations in Russia on 8 March, as well as an open letter posted by their CEO Chris Kempczinski on the same day regarding the suspension.

Speaking on the formal exit of the company, Kempczinski said, “We have a long history of establishing deep, local roots wherever the Arches shine. We’re exceptionally proud of the 62,000 employees who work in our restaurants, along with the hundreds of Russian suppliers who support our business, and our local franchisees. Their dedication and loyalty to McDonald’s make today’s announcement extremely difficult.”

He added, “However, we have a commitment to our global community and must remain steadfast in our values. And our commitment to our values means that we can no longer keep the Arches shining there.”

According to the company, the ongoing humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, and the precipitating unpredictable operating environment, have led McDonald’s to conclude that continued ownership of the business in Russia is no longer tenable, nor is it consistent with McDonald’s values.

It is also expecting that the company will lose around US$1.2b to US$1.4b to write off its net investment in the market.

McDonald’s is one of the hundreds of companies that have exited Russia amidst the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine; which includes advertising and marketing companies such as Publicis Groupe and IPG.