The fashion collaboration McDrip was launched exclusively on social media to reach the Gen Z target group on their own terms. McDonald’s Finland partnered with the fashion label to create a fashion collection made from used McDonald’s workwear and made available only to employees –” Want the drop? Get the job!”

The own channels of McDonald’s Finland and VAIN were leveraged for the launch, and from there influencers organically made McDrip go viral primarily on TikTok. Influencers in VAIN’s entourage shared exclusive behind the scenes material, which became the most-seen and shared material of the campaign.

Generation Z is an important and hard-to-get audience for McDonald’s both as consumers and potential employees. Based on decreased job applications, it was apparent that the youth no longer saw McDonald’s as a cool place to work.

To ensure the continued level of brand experience and thereby the position as market leader, new talent is crucial. McDonald’s Finland has a good and continuously developing online presence on social media supported by frequent influencer collaborations.

For McDrip, an additional influencer dimension came through the VAIN collaboration with members of his entourage making content on TikTok that was seen by millions. It suited the idea to use that platform to reach Gen Z in a way they would relate to and that didn’t feel like advertising or recruitment.

What could we do that combines boosting employer image, speaks to youth relatably in their own language and feels meaningful and cool?

The answer was McDrip, a fashion collaboration with an up and coming designer, fully launched and promoted on social platforms. And it was only available if you worked at McDonald’s, causing a flux of applications to work at McDonald’s. People heard the “Want the drop? Get the job!” message and acted.

Designer Jimi VAIN and his label (and extended entourage) had creative freedom when it came to fashion and social media presence, which ensured genuine and relatable communication that struck a chord with Gen Z.

McDonald’s lent its presence to lift this local talent rather than riding on the fame of an established designer. The fashion was made from used McDonald’s workwear, bringing a positive sustainable angling through the upcycling.

Gen Z no longer saw McDonald’s as a cool employer. Job applications were down in the age group that is the primary source of fast-food restaurant employees.

We knew we had to make McDonald’s relatable in the channels most natural for them to really engage. Therefore, the own channels of McDonald’s and the VAIN fashion label were used for launch with social media influencers taking it from there – and making it viral.

The idea was to make Gen Z heard and seen, communicating the idea that McDonald’s is a brand for them. Making the fashion collaboration limited only to McDonald’s Finland employees made McDrip – and a job at McDonald’s Finland – even more desirable. Some of the most impactful influencers were from VAIN’s crew posting TikTok clips to millions.

The first step was to create the fashion collection from used McDonald’s workwear collected around Finland. The designer Jimi VAIN had creative freedom to express himself while making use of the McDonald’s brand.

Next, the launch was executed online tailored to the strengths of different channels e.g. the launch fashion show was streamed live on TikTok and from there influencers had free reign – all earned coverage. Adding to the excitement and desirability of McDrip was the fact that it was only available to McDonald’s employees – Want the drop? Get the job!

Upon launch, McDrip went viral on various social media platforms. The most shared clips were by influencers in VAIN’s entourage from a night spent at a closed McDonald’s at night. Things snowballed fast, culminating in Drake posting a pic from his gig on Instagram with Lil Uzi Vert wearing the McDrip look.

The number one target was reached fast – applications increased by 63% – a record-breaking number for McDonald’s Finland.

Having Lil Uzi Vert wearing McDrip during a Drake gig and Drake posting a pic of it on Instagram to his 136 million followers was a welcome addition to the attention.

Earned media reach: 228 million –equal to 40 times the Finnish population.

Earned media value: 11MEUR – over 700 times the media spend.

In the 16-24-year-old demographic:

Employer image +52%

Brand responsibility image +69%

“It’s a brand I trust” perception +65%

“Is a brand for someone like me” +30%.

VAIN stats on social media right after McDrip launch:

TikTok video views up by 16,378% (from 38K to 6,1M)

TikTok video shares grew by 1,124,900%

​​McDrip brought international recognition to VAIN with Vogue and Financial Times featuring his work and interviewing him during the Pitti Uomo fashion event in Florence, Italy.