With festive ads taking over the airways, it is any port in a storm this week, with the release of a new McDonald’s campaign relaunching its Saver Menu. As regular readers of this column might recall, Maccy D’s is not exactly our favourite brand but, hey, plenty of people love them, and we are firm believers in the saying, “never say never”.
The new campaign, Actually Get Your Money’s Worth, has been devised by Leo Burnett and is designed to highlight the range of affordable grub available to cost-conscious consumers.
Featuring four short films, the activity contrasts the value of McDonald’s Saver Menu with a portion of an expensive purchase. Through tongue-in-cheek scenarios, this series presents the Saver Menu as a “true win” for those looking to make the most of their money across the UK and Ireland.
It coincides with the launch of McDonald’s new £2.49 Chilli Double Cheeseburger, showcased in a playful 20 second film which compares the portion of the burger against £2.49 worth of a firework display.
Following this, three additional 10- and 20-second spots continue the comedic theme, highlighting other scenarios like short-lived theme park rides and half-hearted driving lessons—all designed to emphasise that McDonald’s Saver Menu delivers genuine value at an affordable price.
The campaign spans TV/VOD, OOH, social media, press, radio, and digital platforms, running through 2025. AV spots will air alongside UK shows such as The Great British Bake Off, Gogglebox, and I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!
OOH will do a lot of heavy lifting in showcasing McDonald’s Saver Menu, while press ads will reach a broad audience through outlets like Metro and The Sun, supported by PR activity.
All media planning and buying was handled by OMD UK and PR by Red Consultancy.
McDonald’s UK & IE marketing manager Lucy Johnson said: “We know people are looking for value, now more than ever. This campaign is all about show casing the brilliant value for money the McDonald’s Saver Menu offers customers in a fresh, comedic way.”
Leo Burnett UK creative directors Andrew Long and James Millers added: “Everyone is watching their wallets, and this campaign really taps into that in a humorous way, touching on experiences that we can all relate to. We’re excited to show that you can still enjoy great food without breaking the bank.”
So, what is the consensus around the Decision Marketing office?
Well, to be fair, we’ve only seen one of the executions and we quite like it. It does what it says on the tin, even though the comparisons are slightly ridiculous – then again, that’s the point.
And, may be we are going a bit McSoft in our old age but it does prove a nice McBreak from this year’s particularly uninspiring and wall-to-wall festive ads.
Decision Marketing Adometer: A “quite McAmusing” 7 out of 10
