McDonald's Christmas ad invites UK to enjoy a maccies this festive season

McDonald’s has celebrated the little moments of release that an invite to McDonald’s can provide during the festive period. The 90 second feel-good film ‘Fancy a McDonald’s Christmas?’, created with advertising agency Leo Burnett UK, intends to show just how irresistible an invite to McDonald’s is, as we see a simple invite to McDonald’s between two friends snowball, as a crowd makes their way across a town to their local McDonald’s.

The ad was directed by Shannon Murphy, known for directing Killing Eve, and features the iconic 80s song ‘Jump’ by Van Halen. The film will debut during the ad break of The Voice on ITV and Terminator: Dark Fate on Channel 4 on 11 November, and the same day on cinema. It will also run ahead of Love Actually 20th Anniversary screenings, one of the UK’s best loved Christmas films.

The film begins at a dull office Christmas party, where a woman in a snowman costume reluctantly takes part in a karaoke sing-along with her colleague. She receives a text from her friend – a burger and Fries emoji followed by a question mark. The friend raises his eyebrows at her, extending the invite that needs no words - ‘Fancy a McDonald’s?’. They rush out of the office excitedly, with the rest of the party in-tow. The crowd walk across town, as other groups of people with the exact same idea, leave their own festive gatherings to join in. Even Father Christmas cannot resist, leaving Santa’s Grotto to join the group. They arrive at a train station, where a family in matching Christmas jumpers appear glum as their train has just been cancelled. Spotting the bustling crowd, the family gleefully raise their eyebrows at each other and join the group. The film cuts to schoolchildren performing a Christmas nativity play: a hall full of disinterested parents watch. When a teacher asks, “Who wants one more song?” the adults charge outside to join the herd, swiftly followed by the schoolchildren. The huge crowd stride towards their local McDonald’s branch and the McDonald’s sign comes into view. The film ends with smiling McDonald’s staff greeting everybody before ‘Fancy a McDonald’s?’ appears on-screen.

The ‘Fancy a McDonald’s Christmas?’ campaign is supported by a social media campaign including an innovative Snapchat filter that gives everyone the chance to try on outfits from the film by raising their arches. Alongside this, the brand will be running 30 days of app offers through the Festive Wins promotion, allowing customers to win food and merch including a partnership with Crocs that features the popular footwear decorated with McDonald’s iconography. McDonald’s will also bring festive joy to families, with a Festive Paddington Happy Meal® partnership over the Christmas period.

The Red Consultancy has led on PR and the launch event, OMD UK has handled all media planning and buying, CRM by Armadillo and Linney - all point of purchase activity and competitions have been driven by TMS.

Michelle Graham-Clare, Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer at McDonald’s UK & Ireland, said: “Celebrating the iconicity of a knowing look, an unspoken communication to signify the all-consuming craving for a Big Mac is something we’ve proudly celebrated all year. I cannot wait to see the reaction to our Fancy a McDonald’s Christmas campaign. Underpinned by generous offers and competitions in our app to kick-start Christmas early, we hope to raise many smiles – and eyebrows – once again.”

James Millers and Andrew Long, Creative Partners at Leo Burnett UK, said: “The beginning of 2023 saw us turn a simple raise of the of eyebrows into an invitation to Maccies. So, what better way to finish the year than bringing this iconic action back for Christmas? This feel good campaign hopes to spread some joy, by celebrating all of those important moments of release during the festive period.”

Credits

Campaign Title: Fancy a McDonald’s?

Client: McDonald’s UK & IE

Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett UK

CCO: Chaka Sobhani

Executive Creative Director: Mark Elwood

Creative Partners: Andrew Long & James Millers

Creative Director: Emma Brooke

Creative: Angus Crombie & Drew Davies

Designer: Danny Flint

Social Creative: Lisi Davis & Cicely Alderson

Project Director & Social Producer: Siobhan Mulcahy

Deputy CSO: Tom Sussman

Planning Director: Hamish Cameron

Senior Planner: Alexandra Arnold-Jones

Business Director: Steph Bates

Account Director: Alice Pavey

Senior Account Manager: Nicola Kuan

Account Executive: Jan Nikawala

Chief Production Officer: Emily Marr

Agency Producer: Graeme Light

Production Company: Smuggler

Director: Shannon Murphy

Editor: Billy Mead

Producer: Lucy Gossage

Post-Production Company: Framestore

Audio Post-Production Company: 750

VFX by Framestore

VFX Supervisor: Jules Janaud

2D Supervisor: Michael Baker

Flame Artists: Andrew Salter & Luigi Russo

Senior Producer: Alexia Paterson

Production Coordinator: Chloe Dunn

Production Assistant: Jamie Scott

Compositers: Julia Caram, Dominique Breyvogel

Digital Matte Painting: Chelsea Aston

Hiero Editorial: Matthew Collins

Tracking & Layout: Victor Farag

Designer: Andrew Niven

Colour: Company 3

Colourist: Steffan Perry

Producer: Chris Anthony

Social Exec Producer: Stephanie Elliott (Smuggler)

Social Creative Studio: Summon Studios

Social Director / DOP: Oliver Kane

Social Creative Producer: Sam Hampson

Social 2AD: Gabriel O’Donohoe

Social Gaffer: Hishanth Jegathasan

Social Location Assistant: Danny Blandy

Social Rental: Edward Films

Social Edit / Grade: Oliver Kane

McDonald’s Brand Team:

Chief Marketing Officer, S.V.P: Michelle Graham-Clare

Head of Consumer Communications & Partnerships: Louise Page

Director of Marketing: Steven Howells

Head of Marketing, Brand Affinity, Trust & Family: Hannah Pain

Senior Brand Manager: Emma O’Neill

Brand Manager: Amber Myers

Brand Manager: Emma Pellegrinelli

Campaign Assistant: Callum Seviour

Agency Partners

Media: OMD UK

Social: Oliver

PR: Red

CRM: Armadillo

In-Store: Linney

Director: Shannon Murphy

Associate Director: Laura Hafes

Production Company: SMUGGLER @smugglersite

Managing Director: Fergus Brown

Deputy MD/EP: Lucy Kelly

UK Head of Production: Amelia Hanbury

Producer: Lucy Gossage

Production Manager: Max Harrison

Production Assistant: Sam Page-Jones

Cast Coordinator: Karen Graham

Script Supervisor: Sylvia Parker

Location Manager: Rupert Bowket

Location Assistant: Joe Storelli

1st AD: Ben Gill

2nd AD: Chris Mears

3rd AD: Alex Mcallister

Runner: Kai Rajakulasingham

Runner: Zarife Sevin

Runner: Emily Clayton

Runner: Jim Onyemenam

DOP: Olan Collardy

Focus Puller: Oliver Bingham

2nd AC: Esther Edusi

Camera Trainee: Thomas Rimmer

DIT: Luke Mccarthy

Grip: Steve Wells

2nd Grip: Barry Read

Grip Assistant: Eugene Ebanca

Crane Tech: Paul Kolthammer

Scorpio Head Tech: James Townsend

Camera Car Driver: Hubert Mosiej

Video Playback: Ryan Booth

DOP Shadow: Funkẹ Alafiatayọ

Gaffer: Vini Curtis

Best Boy: Harry Buck

Electrician: Luke Greenan

Electrician: Hannah Grinham

Electrician: Rob Gifford

Electrician: George Wright

Electrician: Dax Sharkey

Desk Op: Eddie Cook

Master Rigger: Aaron Rackham

Rigger: Scotty Stephens

Production Designer: Anna Rhodes

Assistant Art Director: Lucy Fewell

Props Master: Nick Turnbull

Props Assistant: Nick Hancok

Props Assistant: Charlotte Hill

Props Assistant: Chris Herbert

Props Assistant: Joe Youens

Props Runner: David Anthony Thomas

Casting: Kharmel Cochrane

Wardrobe Stylist: Buki Ebiesuwa

Wardrobe Assistant: Gabriela Sena

Wardrobe Assistant: Shyanne Sanders

Wardrobe Assistant: Veronica Johnson

Wardrobe Assistant: Koshey Murtra

Seamstress: Jonathon Kidd

Seamstress: Daria Gerova

Make-up Artist: Michele Baylis

Make-up Artist: Dana Degan

Make-up Artist: Rosie Mcginn

Make-up Artist: Amy Whynard

Mark-up Artist: Victoria Reynolds

Movement Assistant: Emma Farnell-Watson

VFX Supervisor: Jules Janaud Frame

Medic: Coffee Medic / Paul Mawson

Catering: Gav’s Kitchen