2019 Winners & Shortlists

Why is this work relevant for Media?

This work is relevant for Media as it utilized a variety of integrated media working together and complimenting each other to bring our idea to life, in fact it was the heart of our idea. To give people the feeling that our character was following them everywhere, we utilized a wide range of media to target them anywhere and everywhere they were. From catching them on the radio during their evening commute to guest appearances on TV programs. From the real world to online, and even on social media. We left people nowhere to hide from the Big Mac Craving.

Background.

Nothing says McDonald’s like the Big Mac. But McDonald’s best-selling burger around the globe was falling short in sales in the GCC. With hip new burger joints starting to turn the heads of young foodies, the big Mac was missing some McLovin’. With Big Mac’s 50th anniversary coming up, our brief was to bring people back to their senses by reigniting their love for Big Mac’s iconic taste, driving them to McDonald’s (online and offline) and increasing the incremental sales of this iconic burger by 2.5%.

Describe the creative idea/insights

The Big Mac’s unmistakable flavor and special sauce make it a burger that keeps people coming back for more. All we had to do to get them back was trigger that unmistakable craving. So we created The Big Mac Craving. A fuzzy yellow loudmouth who personified that powerful urge you have for a Big Mac, and followed people everywhere until they finally satisfied their need for one.

Describe the strategy.

Demographically, we were speaking to millennials or young foodies. But for McDonald’s purposes we were speaking to Big Mac lovers and those who had never tried it before, i.e. first-timers. Qualitative research across both segments (n=350) showed that once our young foodies tasted the Big Mac, they had an itch to have it again. An itch that haunted them, it was insatiable. We built our entire campaign around this unique audience insight and ownable product truth. While our marketplace communicated burgers as saucy, juicy, delicious sandwiches; we owned our space as the iconic Big Mac. Opting not to sell it as just any tasty sandwich with delicious ingredients, we chose to position the Big Mac as a feeling. Our approach was to capitalize on the only reaction everyone has when they think of a Big Mac…an insane craving for its unmistakable taste.

Describe the execution.

Just like a real craving, this character was simply unavoidable until satisfied. Wherever our consumers were, he was too, as we identified the most impactful channels to bring our idea to life. He appeared on TV with films showing how he could strike anytime, anywhere. But he didn’t just appear during commercial breaks, he also showed up in the program content, making a guest appearance on MBC Driven. He caught people on their drive home from work, pestering them on radio. He overtook social channels our audience are most active on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. He pestered people on Snapchat and encouraged them to ‘swipe up’ for a Big Mac. Digital banners targeted and re-targeted people, so he literally followed them around the internet. He appeared in-store on everything from kiosks to menu displays. And he had his very own app-based game for consumers to unlock Big Mac rewards.

List the results.

Across the GCC, for the 6-week campaign period (versus 52 trailing week): Business Results: • Restaurant Visits (online & offline) result: 5.4% (goal: 1.5%) • Incremental Sales result: 4.8% (goal: 2.5%) Communication Results: • We saw a 128% increase in engagement through redemptions from our loyalty app (goal: 50%) • Social Media Impressions result: 33 million, exceeded goal by over double (goal: 15 million) Additional Results: • Impressively, the campaign’s halo effect was so successful that we had an 8% increase in sales across the rest of the McDonald’s menu (~USD46 million incremental revenue across these 6-weeks). • Paid Digital Channels (generated USD850,000 revenue). • McDonald’s App: 270,000 downloads; 600,000 games played. • Reached over 75% of the millennials in the GCC, further driving results. • Big Mac Sales Share: increased from 6% to ~11% of the McDonald's menu.