Maccy Ds Hollywood homage hails World Menu Heist 2

McDonald’s is reprising last year’s “World Menu Heist” campaign with an even bigger operation, backed by a major new push bringing nine menu items from eight countries to the UK and Ireland.

Once again devised by Leo UK, the strategy is built on a simple fan truth: for years, McDonald’s fans had taken to social media to share their envy that some of the brand’s most-loved menu items were not available in the UK.

Leo UK turned that global food FOMO into a heist, bringing international favourites home. The platform was adapted by McDonald’s markets around the world, with over 40 countries running their own heist.

This year, Leo UK and McDonald’s used social listening to identify fans’ most-wanted menu items and turn them into the targets of a new global operation. The haul features nine products from eight countries; the biggest number of new items McDonald’s UK has launched within a single campaign. These include Germany’s Big Rösti, Canada’s Maple & Cheddar Chicken and China’s Szechuan Sauce.

The campaign is fuelled by creators acting as “the insiders” and amplified by partners acting as “the reporters”, letting fans participate in the heist through classified intel, creator content and real-time updates. From launch, a LadBible partnership will see a former detective analyse the film for clues about the heist.

Inspired by classic heist films, the campaign unfolds across five stages: Plan, Execute, Plot Twist, Execute and Dispose. It follows the McDonald’s crew as they track down fans’ most-wanted products, steal them from around the world and bring them home.

The campaign launches this week with the first of two 30-second films. The first spot follows the crew securing and transporting McDonald’s goods from around the globe before a golden McDonald’s parachute carries the haul to safety. The film is supported by 10-second spots and dedicated McDelivery creative. The second 30-second film will follow the ‘plot twist’ on October 20.

The “golden vault” idea extends across OOH advertising, where the international products sit on solid-gold vaults like valuable pieces of loot. The entire in-restaurant experience is redesigned to let fans participate in the heist, with hero stunts including a golden parachute resting across the Golden Arches, as if the haul has just landed.

Later this week, media and creators will be invited to an immersive London event set inside the secure vault where the stolen menu items are being kept. Guests will taste the menu, explore the heist world and co-create content to share across their channels.

The eight-week campaign is extended from five weeks in 2025 and will run across TV, cinema, out-of-home advertising, social, radio, CRM, partnerships, activations and events.

Media planning and buying has been handled by OMD; with CRM through TMW; PR, events and influencer activity by Red Consultancy; digital activation by TMS, and POP and in-restaurant communications by Linney.

McDonald’s UK marketing director Hannah Pain said: “Our fans are very good at telling us which McDonald’s products they want us to bring home next, so this year we listened. But every good heist has a plot twist, so watch this space. We may not be finished yet.”

Leo UK creative directors Jason Keet and James Hodson added: “McDonald’s fans gave us the targets. We just planned the heist. That is what fan-fuelled creativity means to us at Leo UK: listening to what people genuinely want and turning it into an idea everyone can enjoy.

“After last year’s campaign travelled around the globe, we knew the next heist had to go bigger. More loot, more accomplices and a twist halfway through. It would have been criminal not to.”

Maccy Ds Hollywood homage hails World Menu Heist 2

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