NORD DDB | McDonald’s

Insight:

McDonald’s was no longer seen as cool by Gen Z. This was evident in a drop in applicants. Action was required to show Gen Z that McDonald’s can be a part of their life – even a job.

You don’t win over Gen Z with something that feels like advertising or recruitment. Instead, McDonald’s Finland joined forces with up-and-coming local fashion designer, Jimi VAIN, to create a fashion collection made from upcycled McDonald’s uniforms. The drop was only available to McDonald’s employees to boost recruitment.

In other words, “Want the drop? Get the job!”

Word about the collection went viral on social media following the fashion show which was streamed live on TikTok and supported by McDonald’s Finland and Jimi VAIN’s own channels. These were soon followed by organic influencer content because everyone wanted a piece of the fashion. Wearing a McDonald’s uniform started to feel cool to Gen Z again.

Impact:

The campaign was successful in reaching the number one target demographic – Gen Z – and resulted in an increase of applications by 63% – a record-breaking number for McDonald’s Finland.

The McDrip penetrated culture. Artist Lil Uzi Vert sported the McDrip on stage with Drake which was posted on Drake’s Instagram for all his 136 million followers to see — a welcome addition to the attention.

Other highlights include:

· 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%

· “It’s a brand for someone like me” +30%