McDONALD'S GETS GRILLED

TitleMcDONALD'S GETS GRILLED
BrandMcDONALD'S
Product / ServiceMcDONALD'S
CategoryA02. Best Non-Fiction Program, Series or Film where a client has successfully created a reality, document
EntrantUNIVERSAL MCCANN Surry Hills, AUSTRALIA
Entrant Company:UNIVERSAL MCCANN Surry Hills, AUSTRALIA
Contributing Company:UNIVERSAL MCCANN Surry Hills, AUSTRALIA

Credits

Name Company Position
Natalie Harvey UM General Manager
Daniel Isaac UM National Strategy Director
Debbie Stevens UM Managing Director
Ian Warner UM Communications Director
Mat Baxter UM CEO
Henry Tajer UM Chairman

The Campaign

Australia is a relatively mature market when it comes to branded content on television, and a young, yet rapidly growing market when it comes to branded content online. When it comes to TV - although there are few regulations across the main FTA and Pay TV channels - there are restrictions that relate to content broadcast on the ABC and SBS channels, due to these channels being government funded. Generally speaking the networks have, to date, focused on partnering with brands as multiple sponsors around flagship shows such as MasterChef and The Block, where the sponsorship has included editorial integration, branded ad-break bumpers, product placement and branding around the show’s online entities. However, when it comes to wholly ‘brand funded’ shows - designed around a brand from the word go - the networks have been sceptical. They have found it hard to embrace such shows within their peak time programming and have typically limited these opportunities to their off-peak schedules or digital channels. Now, with shows like 'McDonald’s Gets Grilled' leading the way, we are seeing the networks increasingly open up to the possibility of placing more types of these shows in peak time slots.

Results

The challenge: McDonald’s asked us to create a campaign that would help improve perceptions of their food quality in Australia. As much as they liked the brand, Australian mums and dads still felt as though they would be labeled bad parents if they took their kids there. The trust McDonald’s delivered through nostalgia and reliability was heavily outweighed by the concerns brought on by changing consumer attitudes to health and particular diners wanting to know the origins of their food. This posed a problem for McDonalds who were still struggling to shake the ‘processed’ urban myths that had dogged them for years. We needed an idea that went beyond advertising to dispel the myths about McDonalds, to show people the origins of their food and get Maccas back on the menu of Aussie mums and dads. The objectives: 1) Increase brand perceptions scores on ‘quality of food’. 2) Generate positive PR for the brand. The strategy: Introducing, McDonald’s Gets Grilled. The world’s first independently produced McDonald’s documentary. The 60 minute independently produced show gave six members of the public an all-access pass to McDonald’s; every part of the process, from paddock to the plate, was investigated and allowed them to ask any questions along the way. With no media or sponsorship spend but a documentary idea they knew would captivate the nation, the Seven network agreed to run the programme in the prime 9.30pm timeslot, marking a first in free to air Australian television. We knew the programme would get the whole of Australia talking so we set up a unique social experiment where viewers could use Facebook to ask any questions that the show raised to the McDonald’s CEO, Catriona Noble.

Like all powerful branded content it needed to start with a compelling story, one the audience would be intrigued by and want to find out more about. In this case it was a simple premise – what lies behind the real McDonald’s? Our story had three central elements: 1. It was genuinely independent (produced by independent production company, WTFN). 2. It involved real people (six volunteers). 3. It was an untold story about a brand everybody has an opinion about. It was the unique blend of these elements, which resulted in over 1million viewers seeing the documentary.

The 'McDonald’s Gets Grilled' documentary became one of the most talked about shows of the year with over 1,000 pieces of PR across both national and international news outlets, which equated to over 15 million PR impressions. This included a dedicated 10-minute news piece within famous ABC Media Watch programme. The show itself won its timeslot, against some stiff competition, with over 1 million Australians tuning in across the 60 minutes. This puts the shows media value at a staggering $4.2 million. What really mattered was how the public reacted and there were over 660,000 online conversations in the week prior to the show airing with 92% of all comments positive or balanced. The PR and social value equated to a huge $1.2 million. Most significantly, quality food and freshness brand perception scores now at a 2 year high. In fact, the documentary has been so successful it has sparked interest from the McDonald’s family around the world.