2020 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

Challenges and Goals:
Change youths’ perceptions of what it’s like to work at McDonald’s. Among McDonald’s staff in Canada, 74% is under the age 24. The business depends on constantly attracting thousands of young workers and with youth unemployment in Canada at historic lows, the competition has never been tighter.

It’s particularly challenging for McDonald’s because of the negative perceptions of what it’s like to work there. The notions of it being a “McJob” persist. Qualitative research revealed many youth wouldn’t even consider working at McDonald’s because they felt their friends would “judge them” for working there.

Our The QSR’s objective was to increase applications. To accomplish this we’d it would need a completely new way for McDonald’s to approach recruitment and fundamentally shift youths’ perceptions of what it’s like to work there.

Insight:
You know what youth want most from their first jobs? To work with friends. Previous McDonald’s’ campaigns stressed the rational benefits of working at the restaurant chain, such as learning skills like teamwork, or the opportunity for advancement. Employees do recognize these real benefits once they’ve started working there, but they don’t address the stigma, preventing youth from even wanting to apply.

Internal research revealed that “my relationship with my co-workers” is what young staff likes most about working at McDonald’s. They quickly form strong bonds and friendships working together. It can be a demanding job, but when you like the people you work with, you tend to like the place where you work more as well.

Strategy:
Friends Wanted. The best way to overcome the stigma of your friends judging you for working at McDonald’s is to have your friends work there with you. The idea was to actually change the way McDonald’s recruited by encouraging friends to apply together, interview together and work together. As a result, “Friends Wanted” became the restaurant chain’s new rally cry for recruiting youth.

Execution:
The fully integrated campaign included an online video series about two friends and the harmless hijinks they got up to working together at McDonald’s. The QSR also developed posters, in-restaurant video-boards and unique tray liners that featured two job applications, flipped, so friends seated across from each other both got the message.

Our McDonald’s’ media strategy focused on embedding ourselves itself where youth interact most with their friends, so digital channels were integral. McDonald’s leveraged high reach platforms: Facebook, YouTube & Instagram, but also prioritized Twitch and Connected TV, which have a lower reach, but are specifically designed around interacting with friends.

The most important element was operationalizing the idea. McDonald’s changed its on-line application process to include a “recommend a friend” field and franchisees have begun to interview friends together.

Results:
Results have been outstanding, as the first month of the campaign generated over more than 75,000 new applications. Facebook Brand Lift Performance Tracking for the campaign is “the highest we’ve ever seen, for any brand in Canada.” Job Interest increased +42% (would you consider working at McDonald’s?), and similarly, recommendations increased +29% (when asked, “Would you recommend working at McDonald’s to a friend?”). Ad recall was +30.4 pts. (216% above norm), and market awareness increased 154%

Credits

Title: Friends Wanted

Agency: Cossette
Global CCO(s): Peter Ignazi, Carlos Moreno
Group Creative Director: Jon Freir
Associate Creative Director/AD: Spencer Dingle
Associate Creative Director/CW: Jordan Hamer
Art Director: Tyler Robitaille
Copywriter: Ellen Porteous
Senior Designer: Eric Wood
Agency Producer: Erica Metcalfe
Strategist: Jeff McCrory
Account Executive: Vallerie Traitses
VP, Client Lead: Sarah Jue
SVP, Managing Director: Kathy McGuire
Senior Digital Project Manager: Jeff Maynard
Production Manager: Dawn-Marie Mills
Studio Director: Raquel Mullen
Senior Retoucher: Trevor Gauthier
Production Artist: Barry Kent
Senior Director, Communications: Stacey Masson
External Communications Manager: Kali Pearson

Production House: Circle Productions
Director: James Haworth
Director of Photography: Stuart Campbell
Line Producer: Amanda Field
Executive Producer: Karen Tameanko
Development Executive: Laurence Payne
Editing House: Saints Editorial
Editor: Melanie Hider
Food Stylist: Noah Witenoff
Colour/Transfer Facility: The Vanity
Colourist: Andrew Exworth
Online Facility: The Vanity
Executive Producer: Stephanie Pennington
VFX Artist: Kaelem Cahill
Casting: Mann Casting
Casting Director: Steven Mann
Audio House: Berkeley Inc.
Audio Engineer: Jared Kuemper
Photography: Rodeo Production
Photographer: Raina & Wilson

Media Company: OMD Canada
Managing Director: Jammie Ogle
Associate Director of Strategy: Laurie St. John
Senior Strategist: Leah Burke
Senior Digital Specialist: Kate Debar
Search & Social Specialist: Deven Creagh

Client: McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Limited
Chief Marketing Officer: Antoinette Benoit
Marketing Officer: Hope Bagozzi
Senior Marketing Manager: Melanie Courtois
Chief People Officer: Stephanie Hardman
External Communications Manager, Corporate Relations: Laura Munzar