Results and Effectiveness

Launch week saw more than 22,000 app downloads without any external media support, proving that Emlings is engaging kids in restaurant. More than 120,000 Emlings were rescued, and 3,800+ Tribe Emlings were found in Happy Meals within that week. Within the first month, Emlings passed 110,000 downloads, the equivalent of one new player every 30 seconds. Average playtime was 15 minutes, well above the 9.6 minute benchmark. Around 60% of player activity was from returning players. Emlings will now roll out internationally, beginning in New Zealand, with plans to extend to other markets including Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Korea and China.

Creative Execution

Emlings was created in consultation with child development experts and parents to ensure that it offers kids aged 4-8 true developmental value, without losing any of the fun and magic. Through a mobile app, kids can peer into the Emlings' world, and find and rescue individual Emlings. They can then teach them how to paint, dance, mould and sing. Each Emling then becomes a creative tool that kids can use to make their own creations. The story of the Emlings is revealed in McDonald's restaurants through in-store posters, tray mats and packaging. Special Tribe Emlings can also be found by scanning the Happy Meal box – McDonald's key kids property. A new tribe is revealed every month, making the platform continuously replayable. And because each Emling is generated by code, there are over 144,000,000 unique characters waiting to be discovered.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

In recent years, McDonald's restaurants have become more sophisticated, and while they're now more appealing to adults, they've lost a sense of magic and playfulness for kids. Our task was to change the way kids saw their McDonald's, and bring some magic back to their experience – without changing the restaurants. Our insight was that kids' imaginations can transform any place more profoundly than any new furniture. And parents look for experiences for their kids that are more than empty entertainment; that stimulate creativity and help their children develop and grow. So we overlaid these modern restaurants with a secret world of imagination. And we filled this world with millions of Emlings – curious little creatures who have lost their creative powers and need kids to help them rediscover their imagination. Emlings is a platform for creative activities specifically designed to inspire young imaginations, and bring some magic back to their McDonald's.