Summary

Bacon Potato Pie is one of the most popular seasonal menu items of McDonald’s Japan. Challenged to drive sales 2.5x over the prior year, we needed to boost awareness far beyond the current fans – while describing this delicious favorite in a motivating way. The actual pie had not changed. There was nothing new. Yet ‘news’ can be critical in capturing attention in Japan’s cluttered market. We knew eating the pie was as fun as it was flavorful. We focused on the ‘hotness’. A core attribute that makes it hard to speak when savoring the great taste. We changed the name of the pie to project newness and insert a bit of fun to this familiar menu item. ‘Hahon Hohaho Hie’ went beyond the advertising. This unique name was printed on every package, poster, menu and even each receipt. Fans and infrequent visitors to McDonald’s wanted not only to try the pie but try to order using this tongue-twisting moniker. Customers were inspired to share photos of the package as well as videos of themselves attempting to say the name. The easy, playful experience reflected our brand’s love for delivering enjoyment. The hot pie ushered in the season and opened people up to more of what McDonald’s has to offer. Feedback on social media echoed the unmistakable positive impact of the pie. The results proved dramatic. Responses on Twitter, news sites, YouTube and a variety of TV programs helped spread the news and drove many more people to McDonald’s and more often. The name headlined Yahoo! Japan site twice. Hahon Hohaho Hie became the #1 trending topic on Twitter. It was the most tweeted product name in McDonald’s Japan’s history gaining over ¥169 million in earned media. Total sales soared beyond expectations, not only selling 2.5 times last year sales but selling out completely. By tapping into the essence of the product’s core attributes, we offered customers a delicious, easy way to have fun with each other, with our crew, and with our brand.