McDonald’s

Making McDonald’s Relevant to Families (late 80s alert!)

The Brief
In the late 1980s, McDonald's needed to increase frequency of use among family audiences. They required distinct approaches for both adults and children to maximize appeal across the entire family unit.

The Strategy (Spine)
Working as a Junior Planner under legendary Head of Planning Jackie Dickens at Leo Burnett, I helped develop a dual-track strategy. "McDonald's Makes Your Day" targeted adults, while I was put "in charge" of developing the kids' campaign strategy (with Jackie's guidance).

The Voice (Soul)
The adult campaign focused on how McDonald's could turn around an ordinary day, while the children's campaign I helped develop used language and scenarios that resonated specifically with kids' perspectives and motivations.

The Brand Connection (Heart)
The approach recognized that parents and children have different needs and emotional drivers, even when making decisions as a family unit. By addressing both separately but cohesively, we created a more compelling overall family proposition.

The Impact
The dual-track approach successfully increased McDonald's frequency of use among families, with both adults and children finding relevance in the brand messaging. This early-career experience provided valuable lessons in strategic segmentation.

My Role: Creative brief development, creative development research, strategic development.

In Action: Click the images below for a trip down memory lane!