McDonald's: leaderboard-top-1 by Leo Burnett
- Location:
Building on the success of its Christmas campaign last year, McDonald’s is getting #ReindeerReady again.
Created by Leo Burnett London, the activity aims to build brand affinity for McDonald’s during the chaotic Christmas period and increase visits.
The agency has created a film that depicts Father Christmas and his reindeer as they journey around the UK on Christmas Eve. While he receives an abundance of mince pies, people seem to have forgotten to put anything out for the reindeer. They soldier on as best they can on their biggest night of the year but eventually the lack of carrots catches up with them and they come to a bumpy landing . Fortunately, Father Christmas spots one of the McDonald’s restaurants, and rushes towards it to stock up on carrots for his reindeer.
With media planning and buying by OMD UK, the film will run on TV, cinema, VOD and social. In a media first, the campaign will launch with an advertising premier, with a broadcaster integrated partnership across ITV, Channel 4 and Sky. Following initial teaser idents, the full 90-second commercial launches on 18 November. Also in 60-second, 40-second, and 30-second cut down versions, the campaign will run for six weeks.
McDonald’s, which has rebranded its carrot bags as Reindeer Treats to fit with the theme of the campaign, has also created a magical digital experience on Snapchat, ‘through a lens-based’ game that transforms the player’s face into a reindeer and prompts them to catch as many falling carrots as possible. The number of carrots caught can then be used as fuel for Father Christmas’reindeer, determining how fast they fly through the sky. Snapchat filters are available for customers visiting McDonald’s restaurants.
The #ReindeerReady website will host exciting competitions, including a Christmas jumper giveaway and an animated e-book for parents and children to read together in the lead up to Christmas. McDonald’s are also bringing families an extra piece of magic on Christmas Day itself with the return of Reindeer Ready Live, an augmented reality tool which allows parents to capture the magical moment a reindeer enters their home at Christmas to share with their children.
Credits
Chief Creative Officer: Chaka Sobhani
Creative Director: Pete Heyes
Creatives: Andrew Long and James Millers
Head of TV Production: Graeme Light
Client Services Director: Layla Potter
Board Account Director: Bethany Watts
Account Director: Jassmine Wixon
Senior Account Manager: Felicity Davies
Account Manager: Robert Ellen
Account Executive: Callum Matthews
Account Executive: Thomas Schofield
Head of Planning: Max Keane
Planner: Catherine Owen
Senior Digital Strategist: Carl Juresic
Senior Project Manager: Emily Green
Senior Social Media Manager: Rory O’Neill
Head of Design: Phil Bosher
Deputy Head of Design: Paul Reddington
Designer: Kinda Savarino
TVC Production Company: Outsider
Director: James Rouse
Producer: Benji Howell
Editor: Art Jones at Work Editorial
Production credits
VFX: Framestore
VFX Supervisor: Ben Cronin
CG Supervisor: Ahmed Gharraph, Grant Walker
2D Supervisor: Suzanne Jandu
Head of Animation: Ross Burgess
Animation Lead: Gez Wright
Lighting Lead: Mathias Cadyck
Asset Leads: Joel Best, Gabriela Salmeron, Andrew Butler
Colourist: Steffan Perry
Senior Producer: Josh King
Line Producer: Lucy Grist
Production Coordinator: Emma Hughes
Audio Company: Factory
Sound Engineer: Anthony Moore
McDonald’s Brand Team
Marketing Director for Brand Experience and Media: Ben Fox
Senior Brand Manager: Hannah Pain
Assistant Brand Manager: Sophie Williams
Campaign Assistant: John McClure
McCafé
Head of Marketing, Food & Beverages: Michelle Graham-Clare
Marketing Manager: Thomas O’Neill
Brand Manager: Jodie White
Campaign Assistant: Harry McLean
Social Team
Social Media Editor In Chief: William Bonaddio
Social Media Manager: Ashleigh-Jayne O’Connell
OMD UK
Jo Butler, Executive Business Director
Emma Carr, Business Director
Jamie Graham, Communications Planning Manager
Julia Smith, Strategy Director
Emma Parrett, Strategic Partnerships Director
Jamie Callaghan, Connections Planning Associate Director
Joseph Easter, Connections Planner
Tom Kirkham, Digital Connections Planning Associate Director
Bea Spring, Digital Connections Planning Manager
Paul Milsom, Investment Director
Alex Neary, Investment Associate Director
Ediz Osman, Social Associate Director
MPC Creative
Creative Director: Andre Assalino
Interactive Producer: Sinead Catney
Animators: Jess Gaynor and Paul Hunt
Front end developer: Joao Pescada
Back end developer: Jamie Whittle
Designers: Bruno Amorim and Adriano Esteves
SnapChat
Senior Creative Strategist - Mark Carroll
Project Manager - Charlotte Cauby
Creative Specialist - Rob Waterman
Business Solutions Lead - Camilla Schilbach
eBook
Writer and illustrator: Alex Latimer
