McDonald’s taps Alan Shearer for a nostalgic trip to his 90s football heyday
The ad is to encourage customers to make use of the fast-food brand’s rewards scheme and is jam-packed with fun easter eggs.
Footballer and sports pundit Alan Shearer stars in McDonald’s latest ad that pays homage to his iconic 1998 spot titled ‘Signature’ that saw a fan chasing the England legend for an autograph.
In this modern rendition, a young fan called Jackie attempts to get a selfie with the retired striker to no avail, before serendipitously bumping into him at her place of work.
As the girl calls her dad to share her news, eagle-eyed viewers will note that she gleefully adds “I got one better than you”, revealing that her father is none other than the boy from the 90s spot – played by the original actor – who captured Alan’s autograph 25 years ago.
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Shearer’s daughter Chloe also reprised her role as the voice on the phone asking her dad to collect a McDonald’s on his way home. The original version also showed the footballer speaking to his daughter on the phone – then aged five – asking him the same question.
It’s a celebration of 25 years since the original film aired and also marks the equivalent of 100,000 meals donated by customers to FareShare for redistribution since the launch of the MyMcDonald’s Rewards scheme last year.
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Commenting on the ad, Shearer said: “Times have changed since I shot the first advert with McDonald’s 25 years ago – I don’t get many people asking me for signatures anymore, now they’re all after selfies! McDonald’s has also changed and it’s great that customers can now donate their MyMcDonald’s Rewards points to good causes like FareShare. It was great fun to dust off my acting skills to help encourage people to get spending those points – enjoy free food or make a donation to a great cause, it’s a no-brainer.
“I have fond memories of shooting the first ‘Signature’ ad – it was in the build-up to the 1998 World Cup when I was captaining the England men’s team – so when McDonald’s approached me to ask if I fancied creating a new version, it was an easy choice.
“It was brilliant to be back in Newcastle for the filming, as well – we shot at some of the same locations as last time, including St. James’ Park. It was also great to see Stephen, the actor who was in the original advert all those years ago – he’d even brought along the original cheque from the 1998 shoot, which genuinely came from my old checkbook!"
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