More recently, the chain revived the Hamburglar to promote changes to its signature burgers in the U.S. In 2022, it reintroduced adult happy meals via a tie-up with streetwear brand Cactus Flea Market, and in the U.K. work from Leo Burnett has harked back to the simpler ‘90s era.
In November, the reintroduction of the McNuggets Buddies from 1988 was announced, alongside an augmented reality element to bring them to life.
Now, as it looks to get young people through the doors, and drive-thrus, of its new intergalactic brand, audiences can expect more marketing rooted in nostalgia from McDonald’s.
McDonald’s is one of the original pioneers of innovative, stretching experiences, known for bringing delight and setting new standards for enjoyment.
Molly Frampton, associate strategy director, Interbrand
Patricia McDonald, CSO for EMEA at Dentsu Creative, believes it’s a smart move to appeal to a generation embracing play and nostalgia as acts of comfort amid a cost-of-living crisis.
“Joyful experiences are emerging, such as art galleries that merge soft play with cocktail hour; we’re seeing ‘dopamine dressing’ on the catwalk and a spirit of joyful surrealism making a comeback in marketing,” she said. “Self-care and joy are acts of subversion for a generation no longer buying into hustle culture.”
Liz Bazner, senior marketing director at McDonald’s rival A&W Restaurants, recently observed at an ANA event how her own brand was tapping into the past to stay relevant.
“We try to find these little moments through the lens of hip nostalgia that are broadly appealing,” she said, pointing to the brand’s throwback a few years ago to its failed Third-Pound burger, which resonated with people.
The wider engagement strategy
Speaking to Adweek earlier this year, McDonald’s U.S. chief marketing officer Tariq Hassan said the advertiser had shifted from speaking “brand-to-fan” to one that talks “fan-to-fan.”
As the chain outlined its plans for the new brand, with aims to grow globally to reach 50,000 restaurants in the next three years, McDonald’s will also invest further in its mobile app and rewards program, which currently has 150 million 90-day active users. It hopes to add another 100,000 users to that by 2017 while delivering worldwide sales of $45 billion.
A partnership with Google Cloud to deliver access to generative AI solutions online and within its restaurants was also announced for the beginning of next year as it aims to deliver more automation.
Tony Barr, the former U.K. marketing director for rival QSR Wendy’s, sees sense in the move to test expanding into new areas outside of the saturated market it already operates within. Taking share from core coffee brands while leveraging its already established brand equity, he said, was “a bit of a no brainer.”
