Drive-Thru in the Philippines has always been exclusive to four-wheeled vehicles. In a country where “unconventional” rides are part of the local culture, Drive-Thru needed to be more inclusive.

Through this campaign, we changed the way Filipinos perceived and experienced Drive-Thrus. Through an activation, we turned the Drive-Thru into Ride-Thru, and welcomed all local rides including the carabao (water buffalo), the country’s national animal, cementing the brand as a genuine part of local culture.

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 cultural 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 restrictions on mobility. Given this, we turned Drive-Thru into Ride-Thru, welcoming all kinds of local rides — from scooters and motorcycles, to tricycles and bicycles.

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 over 800 carabaos in honor of the season’s bountiful harvest. We created a detour where farmer riders and their carabaos went to the Ride-Thru, in a unique and massive display of local color.

With Drive-Thru traditionally advertised to four-wheeled vehicle riders, Filipinos in the provinces continued to believe that Drive-Thru was exclusive to cars.

We saw this as an opportunity to bring McDonald’s closer to carless Filipinos in rural areas, and make the Drive-Thrus more inclusive to every kind of local ride — from four wheels to four legs.

McDonald’s Carabao-Thru was launched in-store during the Kneeling Carabao Festival in Pulilan, Bulacan on May 14, 2022.

During this festival, McDonald’s disrupted the usual parade route, and created a detour at the Ride-Thru — welcoming carabaos and farmer riders. Here, farmers enjoyed free McDonald’s breakfast treats.

The on-ground effort was supported by digital materials — from an online video to a calendar of content on Facebook and Instagram.

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.

With the goal of bringing the brand closer to Filipino culture, we zoomed into the rural areas of the country where locals don’t have cars, but “four-legged rides,” including the mighty carabao.

By welcoming this iconic Filipino ride, the Carabao-Thru campaign turned McDonald’s into a legitimate Filipino brand — one that not only adapts, but celebrates rich, local traditions.

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.