Always evolving / The campaign taps into the emotional connection between McDonald’s and its customers by likening a fan’s order to a favourite song or band, as both are expressions of personal identity and loyalty.
Josefina Norén, art director at Nord DDB told Contagious, ‘The goal was to celebrate the iconic fan culture by turning each customer’s order into personalised merch and strengthening the emotional bond with our fans. We also wanted to create awareness around McDonald’s being one of the head sponsors of the music festival, which the campaign ran to drive traffic to our restaurants and/or app.’
By turning receipts into wearable merch, McDonald’s elevates the experience of ordering food into a form of self-expression. This approach builds a sense of community, where fans don’t just love the food but feel part of a culture making McDonald's an integral part of its fans’ lifestyle and identity.
The activation also builds on McDonald’s Famous Orders platform, which launched during the 2020 Super Bowl and featured the signature meals of celebrities. Since then, the restaurant chain has expanded its platform by collaborating with other celebrities. In our McDonald’s brand spotlight, Jennifer Healan, VP of marketing, brand content and engagement for McDonald’s US, told us, ‘Famous Orders initially started as this simple idea of a tray and that everyone has a McDonald’s order – but we asked, “How can we make that a bigger idea?”’
With Made To Order, McDonald’s shifts the spotlight from celebrities to everyday customers. Sure, it’s cool to know what Kim Kardashian orders, but this campaign empowers everyone to celebrate their go-to Maccy D’s meal.
Just for you / McDonald’s taps into the trend of personalisation by allowing fans to print their unique orders on a T-shirt to make each customer feel special and valued.
This approach mirrors Chipotle’s successful March 2023 email campaign, when the chain created an email marketing campaign to show people that however unique they think their Chipotle order is, there is someone else out there ordering the very same.
Speaking about the campaign and how Chipotle used data to enhance creativity, Gale’s ECD Jason McCann, told us, ‘How can we use everything we know about you in a meaningful way that makes communication more relevant, more fun, more interesting and more useful to the person.’
Similarly, McDonald’s Made To Order campaign brings personalisation and food order data to life, fostering deeper connections with its customers. Plus, the campaign is a smart way to turn people into walking McDonald’s billboards, and encourage customer loyalty – if you have your tee, you’re going to be reminded to to go and get your favourite order.
