McDonald’s is a brand that needs no introduction. However, its ubiquity and familiarity had left it well known but not well loved, in the US and around the world. It needed to drive cultural reappraisal, especially with young adults: it had been losing share with them, the future of the QSR (Quick Service Restaurants) category. The future, but also the present, of the brand was at stake.

The client brief in the US (but also around the world) was: “build the brand and drive traffic with young adults”.

Commercial Objective:

Grow sales (reversing decline) and share amongst young adults (18-24) - both short and longer-term. And do it profitably.

Marketing Objective:

Get more young adults (penetration) coming to the restaurants.

Communication Objective:

Drive brand fame among this audience. We wanted to reassert ourselves as a culturally relevant icon brand. But that wasn’t enough, we needed to drive immediate behavior too.