McDonald's Leads A World Menu Heist

With Leo UK, it celebrates its most coveted international menu items coming to the UK for the first time

By Creative Salon

21 October 2025

McDonald’s and Leo UK are today revealing “World Menu Heist”, a nationwide integrated campaign that celebrates the arrival of a selection of McDonald’s most coveted international menu items in the UK for the very first time.

For years, McDonald’s fans have taken to social to share their envy that certain global favourites aren’t available on UK menus. “World Menu Heist” taps directly into that fan truth, inviting UK fans to help pull off the most delicious heist of the decade by smuggling in eight of the brand’s most-loved products from around the world - including the Maple BBQ & Bacon Double Quarter Pounder, Garlic & Black Pepper McNuggets and the Pineapple McSpicy - and bringing them to UK restaurants.

The campaign unfolds in three acts - Plan, Execute and Getaway - taking place across cinema, TV, VOD, OOH, social, radio, digital audio and CRM.

From 1 October, McDonald’s began quietly recruiting its most envious fans on social. Through a bespoke Instagram “Close Friends” list, the brand built a secret network of insiders, granting them early access to the operation. Fans received exclusive heist briefings, tasting invitations and a first look at the “goods” being brought into the country. The stolen goods were transported to Barking Riverside Pier (18 October) where the “Close Friends”, hundreds of influencers and the wider public were invited to taste the heisted products, attracting 1,000 guests to the event, before they launched across restaurants nationwide.

17th October saw anticipation build as CCTV-style footage, created in an editorial partnership with LADbible, began appearing across social feeds and its online publication. Presented as security leaks, the films showed mysterious cargo being transported and stored, sparking widespread speculation.

The Execute phase, kicking off today (22 October), when the “World Menu Heist” is revealed in full with a hero film confirming that McDonald’s is stealing eight of its most popular menu items from around the world and bringing them to UK shores. Shot with the pace and energy of a heist movie, the film dramatises the operation - from a tinted-window van with the number plate “NUG Z”, a heister dropping through a hatch to intercept a delivery on a moving train, to a McFlurry machine smuggled overseas by Jet Ski. The film runs across cinema, TV and VOD, supported by shorter edits across social and digital.

Social brings fans even closer to the action. From behind-the-scenes content, and influencer collaborations to real-time heist updates, the campaign lets fans follow every twist of the story as it unfolds, transforming fans into accomplices. CRM and in-restaurant activity continue the story, with app notifications, emails and digital touchpoints giving fans playful updates as the stolen goods arrive in UK restaurants.

OOH executions extend the energy of the film into the real world. Appearing across high-impact digital and static formats nationwide, the work features imagery of the new limited-edition menu items with playful captions announcing their ‘capture’ such as the Pineapple McSpicy appearing upside down in a wink to its Australian origins, Japan’s Garlic & Black Pepper McNuggets “nugg-nabbed”, and UAE’s Mac & Cheese Triangles, “pocketed”.

The Getaway phase (17–25 November) will mark the closing chapter of the operation, recreating the tension of a final escape as the limited-time menu disappears. Digital OOH sites will switch to countdowns and warnings, while app, CRM and social will urge fans to move fast before the products vanish for good.

Running from 22 October to 25 November, the campaign was a cross-agency collaboration: Creative was handled by Leo UK. Media planning and buying was managed by OMD. PR, event and influencer management, was handled by Red Consultancy. CRM was handled by TMW, whilst POP Communications were handled by Linney.

Andrew Long, Executive Creative Director at Leo UK, said: “A successful heist requires meticulous planning and perfect execution... this one has both. Fans have been wanting to steal the global menu for years, and we finally gave them the tools to pull it off. ‘World Menu Heist’ is Ocean’s Eleven meets McDonald’s, the tastiest heist of the century.”

Ben Fox, Chief Marketing Officer at McDonald’s UK & Ireland: “Every great heist has a motive, and ours was simple - give people what they’ve been asking for. ‘World Menu Heist’ snatches eight favourites from around the World and enables fans from the UK and Ireland to try them without having to board a plane! There’s something for everyone and it’s the kind of caper only McDonald’s could pull off.”

Credits:

CAMPAIGN TITLE: ‘World Menu Heist’

CLIENT: McDonald’s

ADVERTISING AGENCY: Leo UK

CCO: Mark Elwood

EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Andrew Long

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: James Hodson, Jason Keet

CREATIVES: Gina Ramsden, Freya Purnell

CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF DESIGN: David Allen

DESIGN PRODUCER: Ethan Lynton

DESIGN DIRECTOR: Paul Reddington

DESIGNER: Georgia Glen