Is it boasting when a fast-food chain runs an OOH campaign that just includes only the common name of one of its foods, such as cheeseburger, or fries, or sundae – no pictures, no brand name?  Food names shared by most competitors no less? Of course, it is. But it also says more than this chain is well-known. It says, this chain is THE chain for those foods. That’s a power very, very few brands have and McCann New Zealand (previously DDB Aotearoa) has used it to advantage for McDonald’s.

The very confident, very brilliant outdoor campaign, You know where, is running across New Zealand.

“Macca’s is an iconic global brand, and their products are so iconic they need no explanation, so we let the words do the talking,” stated Gary Steele, chief creative officer, McCann New Zealand.

By stripping the creative back to its most minimal form, the work leans into a powerful truth – few brands in New Zealand have earned the right to be recognised without even showing their face. The simplicity of the outdoor executions beautifully proves what we all already know. When you think cheeseburger or hash brown, you think of the Macca’s brand – even when Macca’s is taken it away.

Head of brand and media at McDonald’s New Zealand, Leigh Benvie, added, “We loved the bold move of showing up at such a crucial moment with the Macca’s brand stripped right back – no Golden Arches, not even a hint of the product. There aren’t many brands that could pull that off and confidently trust people to instantly connect the dots. That’s the kind of brand power Macca’s has.”

Credits
Client: McDonald’s NZ
Director of Marketing: Luke Rive
Head of Brand & Media: Leigh Benvie
Creative Agency: McCann New Zealand
Media Agency: OMD New Zealand