McDonald’s Philippines’ tribute to families tugs on 8m heartstrings
McDonald’s celebrated the end of Christmas in the Philippines, the country with one of the longest Christmas celebration periods in the world, with a tribute to the importance of families. The ad, seeded online and shown on TV, has received over 8m views in total across the brand’s social media channels.
The ad, by Leo Burnett Manila, uses a popular Filipino song from the 70s called ‘Handog’ by Florante but sees it sung instead by children.
The idea behind the ad is to shed light on Christmas (which runs from September until early January in the Philippines) as a crucial time for families to come together. The theme is particularly heartfelt for Filipino people as so many go abroad to work, leaving loved ones behind until they return.
Christina Lao, marketing director at McDonald’s, said the response on social media would feed into future strategies. “It’s gratifying to see how meaningful this has become for Filipino families with the overwhelming positive response from consumers. This inspires us to do greater things for them with the brand.”