Injecting a brand into current social media topics is powerful when it’s done well. McCann New Zealand has done it well, injecting McDonald’s into sports’ fascination with pickle juice for muscle revival. Pickled juice’s sharp, acidic hit is thought to trigger a sensory reflex in the mouth and throat, sending signals to the nervous system that inhibit the nerve activity driving muscle cramps.

In May, McCann NZ arranged for McDonald’s New Zealand to team up with Auckland FC to give pickle juice to its footballers. The idea used leftover pickle juice from Macca’s kitchens, bottled up and put to good use on the football pitch.

Then on the last weekend of October, McCann NZ took McDonald’s Pickle Boost (bottled pickle juice) to the Auckland marathon, and handing it out to runners from a pickle station on the way to the start-line as a cramp solution. (The pickle juice effect can kick in within around 90 seconds, helping runners get back into action faster.) The activation was supported by 22 pieces of contextual OOH throughout the course.

The tactical campaign was built by with Omnicom Oceania agencies, McCann New Zealand, FleishmanHillard New Zealand, OMD, and global partner agencies.

McDonald’s director of marketing, Luke Rive, commented, “We’ve always known people have strong feelings about our pickles, but we never thought we’d be handing out the brine to runners. We gave the Auckland FC boys a taste earlier this year, and with so many Aucklanders hitting the pavement this past weekend, we thought we’d get behind them too.

“Whether people were chasing a personal best or just out to make it across the finish line, we were happy to give runners a little pickle-powered encouragement along the way.”

McCann New Zealand’s chief creative officer, Gary Steele, added, “It’s been incredible to see the reaction from runners both here and in the US. It’s amazing to see an idea that we developed here in New Zealand come to life at some of the world’s biggest running events, with the US team taking the idea to running events in Chicago and New York.

“Not only did we provide runners with a boost in the form of pickle brine, we created a moment to talk about too. It’s a brilliantly unexpected way for Macca’s to show up in sport, and proof that a simple idea involving a humble pickle can make a big impact on the world stage.”

Pickle juice for football began here:

KFC also tried to own pickle mania this year, using fashion as its entry point: