THE CHALLENGE

Since its initial launch in 2018, the McDonald's App has evolved into a platform that helps customers get exclusive deals and rewards with every order. Designed to enhance customer convenience, the McDonald's App streamlines the ordering process for customers whether they are dining in, using the Drive-Thru, or opting for delivery. However, many customers remain unaware of the full potential of the McDonald's App and how to actually use it to enjoy the benefits of each function.. Our mission was clear: to familiarise customers with the McDonald's App and how it can help them 'WIN'.

THE INSIGHT

Among Malaysians, especially the Chinese, there's a universal drive to excel in every aspect of life, or in other words to 'win'. Our strategy revolved around using this insight to communicate the message of 'winning' with the McDonald's App and that by not using the app, you would essentially lose out.

THE IDEA

To better demonstrate this concept of 'winning' with the McDonald's App, we dived into the creation of McDonald's first-ever Chinese drama mini-series, "Love At McD". This series was designed to not only entertain but to also highlight the amazing functions of the McDonald's App. Drawing inspiration from the success of McDonald's previous campaign, "loveatmcd", which effectively utilised storytelling to communicate that you will 'lose out' if you don't use the McDonald's App, "Love At McD" aimed to elevate this approach to new heights.

THE EXECUTION

"Love At McD" is a 3-episode mini-series revolving around three main characters, Mei, Dan and Sammi. When Mei bumps into Dan, her high school first love, she uses the McDonald's App to secretly order meals for him and win him over. They eventually get together, leaving Sammi feeling regretful of not using the McDonald's App.

These key tactics laid the groundwork for our campaign strategy:

1. Leveraging well-known actors and influencers: By enlisting the talents of Malaysian actress Emily Chan Zi Ying and local media influencer Kryston Yang, the campaign gained immediate traction among the target audience, helping to generate buzz and anticipation for the mini-series.
2. On-Ground Activations: Hosting a media launch at McDonald's Pantai Sentral Park DT further amplified the campaign's reach and engagement. We invited members of the press and Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) to participate in the event, which included performances, games, and official “Love At McD” merchandise. The launch generated some buzz on Chinese news platforms and social media, inciting excitement and anticipation for the premiere of “Love at McD”.
3. Full-Funnel Marketing: Beyond the initial launch, the campaign continued to promote the McDonald's App through shoutouts by the main cast. By reminding viewers of the app's exclusive deals and benefits, this effectively drove conversions and encouraged app downloads among its audience.
4. Tagline and Continued Usage: The tagline "With the McD App, SURE WIN" was born through the “Love at McD” series. Even months after the series was launched, McDonald's continues to use this tagline in its messaging when promoting the McDonald's App, communicating the app's benefits and reinforcing the brand in the minds of consumers.

THE RESULTS

The campaign achieved remarkable results, as seen in these figures:

• Reached 5.8 million unique users, resulting in a total of 14 million impressions.
• Generated a total of 55,575 clicks, surpassing the KPI by 2.63.
• Content publishers in the Chinese market reached 1,157,618 individuals, exceeding the KPI by 2.3 times, with an engagement rate of 7.42%.

"Love at McD" garnered overwhelming responses from netizens, characterised by high engagement and media excitement. In summary, we've successfully achieved our primary goal of encouraging customers to download and use the McDonald's app, while also educating them about the abundance of benefits.