Why is this work relevant for Direct?

As one of the world’s largest restaurant companies, McDonald’s has the responsibility and opportunity to take action on some of the most pressing social and environmental challenges in the world today. Using our Scale for Good, McDonald’s Japan wanted to put old Happy Meal toys to good use. And through this first-ever initiative, prove there is value for the brand in supporting programs that recycle our Happy Meal toys. The recycle program was ideal for elevating the brand experience and getting our customers to participate in an environmentally responsible campaign.

Background

Situation: Parents were feeling stress about old Happy Meal Toys piling up. Kids didn’t want to part with their old toys. The brand wanted to improve the perception of our commitment to using our scale for good. The combination of these issues pushed us to pursue some way of implementing a recycling program to transform toys into trays and positively shift perception of the brand. Brief: Leverage McDonald’s scale for good to create a positive environmental impact. Objectives: Get significant number of parents & kids to participate in a toy return/recycle program within a 2-month window.

Describe the creative idea (30% of vote)

Kids love Happy Meal Toys. But as the toys pile up, parents stress out. McDonald’s Japan wanted to offer a way for kids to feel better about saying goodbye to their old toys while giving parents a chance to share an important lesson in sustainability. This is the story of how kids part with their old Happy Meal Toys but meet them again with a renewed smile! And help shape a positive feeling towards our brand while galvanizing the global network to start a recycling program in their region of the world.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

Target audience: Parents & Kids Approach: Leverage TVC, social & in-store merchandising to motivate kids, in partnership with their parents, to return old Happy Meal toys to the store.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

Implementation: Toy Collection Boxes & posters were placed in every restaurant. TV aired, Digital & Social. McDonald’s adopted leading-edge technology partner capable of recycling 100% of the toy. Timeline: 2 month period (March 18-May 18) Scale: Toy Collection Boxes were placed in nearly all 3000 restaurants enabling everyone across Japan access to the program.

List the results (30% of vote)

Business Impact: In just two months, a staggering 1.2 million toys were collected and recycled, adopting leading-edge technology used only in Japan. Response Rate: The toys kids returned transformed into over 100,000 smiling green trays! Impressions: PR value in earned media amounted to ¥46,614,972 ($416,411). Change in behavior: Surveys showed 81% of moms believe that McDonald’s is concerned about the environment. And 79% of them thought that McDonald’s contributes positively to the local community and society. Consumer Awareness: Highest comprehension/awareness scores (50%/81%) of all seasonal programs. TVC scored highest source of awareness in 2018 (73%). In-store recycle box was the second biggest source of awareness for 2018.

Please tell us about the social behaviour and/or cultural insights that inspired your campaign

Kids love Happy Meal Toys. But as the toys pile up, parents often stress out. McDonald’s Japan’s Toy Recycle Program offered a positive way for kids to part with their old toys while giving parents a chance to share an important lesson in sustainability. Using our Scale for Good, McDonald’s put old Happy Meal toys to good use and showed our commitment to reducing broader plastic waste in the world. By leveraging our nearly 3,000 restaurants in Japan, we optimized word of mouth and maximized participation. This first-ever initiative proved ideal for elevating the store experience and getting our customers to participate in an environmentally responsible campaign. This story tells how kids are more willing to part with their old Happy Meal Toys when they can meet them again as green recycled trays with a renewed smile! – Shaping a happy feeling about our brand while helping the earth.