2015 Winners & Shortlists

THE GIFT OF HAPPINESS

BrandMCDONALD'S GCC
Product/ServiceMcDONALD'S
EntrantOMD Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategoryEvents & experiential (incl. stunts and celebrity endorsement)
Advertising Agency LEO BURNETT MENA Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Media Agency OMD Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Entrant Company OMD Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

The Campaign

On a sociocultural level, Ramadan is a time for compassion and family togetherness around “Iftars” and other social gatherings. For the region’s leading family QSR, embracing Ramadan values such as compassion and togetherness was a perfect opportunity to live by it’s “Good Neighbor” ambition in the region. We wanted to make a difference in the lives of those who were deprived from the warmth of belonging to a family. We launched the “Gathering of Hope”. Through close collaboration with charity foundations, we organized bus rides that brought orphans from various charity groups into McDonald’s restaurants. Once the children were seated and thought they were only there to indulge in a happy meal, the restaurants were stormed by families bringing the priceless gift of togetherness around an “Iftar”meal.

The Brief

Family bonds are still strongly preserved and are very intrinsic to the region. Teenagers still live with their family while still single and only leave home once they get married. (Source: TGI UAE and KSA) TGI research tells us that over 70% of people in UAE and KSA believe in the importance of spending time with their family even beyond the Holy month of Ramadan. We wanted to make a difference in the lives of those who were deprived from the warmth of belonging to a family, from the complicity of brothers and sisters and from the comfort of a mother and father. We launched the “Gathering of Hope”.

Results

There are no concrete results to this campaign because this wasn’t the point. Neither McDonald’s nor us were concerned with sales or positive sentiment. To have touched 2,231 unprivileged kids through 21 gatherings was our only reward. Otherwise the revenue of $400,000 generated from the sale of 202,000 books was donated by McDonald’s to the children charity foundation Beit Al Kheir.

Execution

Through close collaboration with charity foundations, we organized bus rides that brought orphans from various charity groups into McDonald’s restaurants. Once the children were seated and thought they were only there to indulge in a happy meal, the restaurants were stormed by families bringing the priceless gift of togetherness around an “Iftar”meal. Meanwhile we released and sold four storybooks in McDonald’s restaurants. The stories revolved around togetherness and other Ramadan values and were written as to provoke children and parents discussions.

The Situation

For the region’s leading family QSR, embracing Ramadan values such as compassion and togetherness was a perfect opportunity to live by it’s “Good Neighbor” ambition in the region and drive salience with GCC Families. Ramadan is a month of fasting and spiritual rejuvenation, yet, on a sociocultural level, it is a time for compassion and family togetherness around “Iftars” and other social gatherings.

The Strategy

Benefiting from McDonald's local presence in each of the GCC market, we reached out to multiple Charity organizations that expressed their interest to participate in the Gatherings of Hope. Furthermore, we directed our pre-gatherings efforts towards recruiting families who wished to participate by leading them to our website and allowing them to book a gathering date as well as a restaurant location.

Credits

Name Company Role
Rami Zeidan OMD Mena Business Unit Director
Mohammad Mannaa OMD Mena Director Planning
Faisal Contractor OMD Mena Associate Director Digital Planning
Rim Darazi OMD Mena Media Manager
Jad Mouhawej Leo Burnett Mena Regional Communication Director
Rasha Al Azem Leo Burnett Mena Associate Regional Communication Director