In most countries, McDonald’s is the market leader because of its success in adapting to local cultures. Except in the Philippines where it’s tougher, because of the homegrown giant, Jollibee.

McDonald’s needed to strengthen its relevance to Filipinos through one of its biggest channels, the Drive-Thru.

At the start of the pandemic, we discovered that there was a surge in two-wheeled vehicles because of mobility restrictions. Given this, we turned Drive-Thru into Ride-Thru, welcoming all kinds of local rides.

We pushed the message of inclusivity by focusing on rural areas where one of the most popular rides is the carabao, the country’s iconic national animal that farmers use to get around and plow the fields. McDonald’s took over the annual Kneeling Carabao Festival, a parade of 800+ carabaos in honor of the season’s bountiful harvest. We created a detour where farmers and their carabaos went to the Ride-Thru.

McDonald’s gained a bigger place in the hearts of Filipinos, and plowed through an even bigger share of the business.

The campaign garnered 95% positive sentiment, with comments admiring the brand for celebrating local culture.

The Brand Trust score for McDonald’s in areas outside Metro Manila increased by 8.5 points, four times that of the competitor.

In a remarkable feat by a far-second brand, McDonald’s Share of visits increased by 3% with more visits from non-traditional rides, successfully stealing shares from the leading QSR brand, Jollibee, that lost by 4%.

McDonald’s Carabao-Thru was hailed as one of the best campaigns in Asia, garnering the highest ownable score among other McDonald’s campaigns.

McDonald’s launched a campaign that changed Drive-Thru to Ride-Thru, welcoming every kind of local ride. To push the message of inclusivity further, the brand showed that even carabaos are welcome at the Ride-Thru by taking over the Kneeling Carabao Festival, where over 800 carabaos and farmer riders join a procession to celebrate the year’s harvest. During the parade, McDonald’s created a detour where carabaos and farmers went to the Ride-Thru.

Non-traditional Filipino rides

The Philippines' rural areas are home to over 55% of the population who go around in more unconventional and uniquely Filipino rides. From horse-drawn carriages (kalesa) to redesigned motorcycles (tricycles, kuliglig), local non-traditional rides highlight the creative and resourceful spirit of Filipinos. In fact, farmers in local communities do not even need wheels for their rides. Instead, they use their trusty carabao (water buffalo).

Kneeling Carabao Festival

There are over 42,000 festivals celebrated across the country — usually honoring a city or a province’s patron saint, like the famous Kneeling Carabao Festival in Pulilan, Bulacan. During the festival, Pulilan locals pay tribute to San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers, through a procession that leads to San Isidro Church where carabaos are instructed to kneel by their farmer owners.