Radio ads can go by in a blur. DDB Sydney’s new radio ad for McDonald’s Australia can’t and won’t. It’s a reworking of the world’s oldest burger chant, Two all-beef patties, Special Sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun, for the Big Mac – presented as a practice run by an announcer. As he stumbles and tries again and again…and again, your brain is locked into his attempts – and the humour of the idea. The chant is part of the Aussie vernacular for Big Mac lovers from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. Now it is likely to add Gens Y and Z to its fan base.
The campaign that proves the Big Mac is truly The Original Mouthful, actually leads with a 60-second TVC, directed by Revolver’s Leilani Croucher that leans heavily into the Big Mac’s 56-year legacy. A The commercial takes fans all the way back to 1968, when Big Mac creator, Jim Delligatti, initially devised the now famous burger. The film then travels through the Big Mac’s evolution across the decades, showcasing just how the burger and its ingredients have stood the test of time.
The original Big Mac chant ad campaign was developed by DDB’s then creative leader, the legendary Keith Reinhard, who is still Chairman Emeritus of DDB today.
DDB Sydney executive creative director, Matt Chandler, commented, “Bringing the Big Mac to a new generation was an awesome task. It’s an icon and part of Australian culture – it’s The Original Mouthful. The launch film was shot and crafted with excruciating attention to detail, ensuring every decade was brought to life as though it had been found on a shelf in an archive. From the wardrobe and propping to the speech patterns and performances of our talent, everything was lovingly recreated to give that innocent and infectious feeling of fun you get trying to nail the chant.”
Samantha McLeod, marketing director for McDonald’s Australia, added, “The challenge of introducing a new generation of Aussies to the Big Mac and the much-loved chant was something we did not take lightly. Australians love their Big Macs and we’re really thrilled with this campaign from our agency village – it’s McDonald’s ‘feel good marketing’ at its best and there’s a lot more exciting stuff to come, so stay tuned.”
To prompt Aussies to get into the chant, a large format digital out-of-home campaign integrates the lyrics of the Big Mac chant into a delicious, macro shot of the Big Mac. A teaser out-of-home campaign launched on 28 March featuring snippets of TheOriginalMouthful.
The full campaign covers TV, online video, out-of-home, radio, digital audio, social, print, POS, PR, influencers, and partnerships across April, with more innovative elements to launch soon.
Credits:
Client: McDonald’s Australia
Chris Brown: Chief Customer Officer
Samantha McLeod: Marketing Director
Liz Whitbread: Senior Brand Manager
Luke Elzerman: Experience Optimisation Manager
Chloe Brannagan: Brand Manager
Creative Agency: DDB Sydney
Stephen de Wolf: National Chief Creative Officer
Matt Chandler: Executive Creative Director
Stephanie Allen: Senior Copywriter
Andrew Torrisi: Senior Art Director
Mandy Whatson: Group Managing Partner
Adam Blaynee: Group Business Director
Steph Dix: Operations Director
Lucy Stone: Project Manager
Chloe McIvor: Senior Business Manager
Rene Shalala: Executive Producer
Katharina Wynne: Strategy Partner
Katy Andrews: Director Social & Content Strategy
Production Company: Revolver
Director: Leilani Croucher
Manager Director & Co-Owner: Michael Ritchie
Executive Producer & Partner: Pip Smart
Senior Producer: Serena Paull
DOP: Andrew Commis
Production Designer: Damien Drew
Costume Designer: Sophie Fletcher
Post Production: ARC Edit
Executive Producer: Daniel Fry
Producer: Sally Quade
Editor: Elise Butt
First Assistant Editor: Carly Anne Kenneally
Second Assistant Editor: Harrison Carr
Colourist: Edel Rafferty
Colour & Online Assistant: Jack Wilson-Lee
Online Artist: Richard Lambert
Online Artist & VFX: Patrick Campbell
Sound & Music: Smith & Western Sound
Nick West & Dan Higson
Media: OMD
Emily Bosler: Head of McDonald’s
Zoe May: Head of Strategy
Catriona Oran Barthram: Head of Comms Planning
Brittany Meale: Strategist
Taylor Hilditch: Account Director
Anna Heslop: Senior Account Manager
PR & Influencer: Mango
Tabitha Fairbairn: Managing Director
Ashleigh Vallance: Senior Account Director
Nada Duyker: Account Director
Sidney Balfour: Senior Account Manager
MyMacca’s app and POS: Akcelo
April Tunstall: Business Lead
Melanie Tozer: Senior Account Director
Alex Kostiouk: Senior Project Manager
CRM: Digitas
David Huang: Account Director
