The Campaign

In Hong Kong, families were losing touch with McDonald’s, and not visiting. So we were challenged to reconnect with them. Our insight was the kids are, quite simply, amazing. They possess imaginations we can’t even dream of. But Hong Kong parents just don’t see it. They believe that success is only achievable through a relentless schedule of studying, exams, and after-school tuition. So to bring families back, and to get parents to love McDonald’s again, we decided to show Hong Kong parents how innately amazing their children already are by building the world’s first McDonald’s restaurant entirely designed by kids, for kids. The campaign aimed to revitalize the connection with families, seeding a deeper engagement and acknowledgment of McDonald’s’ role in their lives. But it also aimed to reach beyond the boundaries of a traditional campaign and to start a movement; one that could encourage parents to reconsider their views of what success means when it comes to their children.

The Brief

5.2 million in earned media. Within the space of 3 weeks we got over 10,000 entries. Close to 60,000 votes for the designs. Sold all the items in the store and raised almost $500,000 for charity. And the result we are most proud. Thousands of happy kids and parents.

Results

Output/Awareness - Over HK$5.2 million in earned media - TOM Ad Awareness increased from 34.9% pre-campaign, to 42.1% post-campaign - The auction of our kids’ paintings generated over 500,000 HKD for charity, which was donated to Ronald McDonald House Knowledge/Consideration - McDonald’s penetration with the target audience grew nearly 5%, from 78% in 2011 to 81.7% in 2012 and their frequency of visits to McDonald’s increased 11% from 2011 to 2012 - the highest growth rate among McDonald’s business segments Action/Business Impact - McDonald’s IEO (Informal Eating Out) scores jumped 18% from 2011, among the target audience “Families with Kids” - The campaign’s Facebook page accumulated a daily reach of over 550,000 - Over 37% of the site visitors came back to re-engage with it - drawing new submissions, visiting the art gallery and watching our expert videos

Execution

The campaign ran for 60 days across a wide range of channels targeting parents and families, including TV, print, outdoor, PR, digital and in-store, which all linked back to a website that became the hub for the “I’m Amazing” project. PR was fundamental in spreading the bigger message: the campaign was made up of a series of events supporting and encouraging the children’s efforts every step of the way. The first event was a PR launch at one of Hong Kong’s highest-traffic McDonald’s restaurants. Converted into a drawing studio, the kids could render their ideas for the Amazing Store, right in the restaurant. After the most popular ideas were determined and the store was built, we held a second event, where we invited the winning creators, their families, famous Hong Kong celebrities, educators and the media to unveil the ‘Most Amazing’ McDonald’s store.

The Situation

Hong Kong’s new generation of “tiger” parents had become obsessed with raising “the perfect child”. Heavily regimented education and an overwhelming schedule meant that children here had lost the childhoods that were meant to be the time of their lives. By turning their children into “little adults”, parents had ceased to see how amazing their children really were. So when the opportunity to reconnect with families arose, we saw a chance to make a bigger statement. Not just about McDonald’s, but about parenting in Hong Kong as a whole. This could not have been achieved through mere advertising; PR would be required to get the media involved and get people talking about a problem that hit seriously close to home.

The Strategy

If we wanted to reconnect with families, we had to get both parents and kids on our side. So we decided to let the kids have fun - but in a way that would make Hong Kong’s notoriously demanding parents proud.