mcdonald’s

HAPPY MEAL 40TH ANNIVERSARY

Since the Happy Meal was released, it has become synonymous with the McDonald’s brand and the iconic red box has created countless memories for billions of families across the world. To celebrate Happy Meal’s 40th birthday, McDonald’s served cheeseburgers with a side of nostalgia.

In over 90 countries, for a limited time, Happy Meals included surprise, limited-edition throwback toys. These included: Cowboy McNugget (1988), Grimace (1990). Hot Wheels Thunderbird (1993), Hamburglar (1995), Power Rangers (1995), Space Jam Bugs Bunny (1996), Furby (1999), Hello Kitty (2013), and more.

I wrote the official press release (PDF version here). I also helped create the social posts, and participated in the digital rollout of the campaign.

The results:

  • Happy Meal toys sold out within 4 days of restaurant availability

  • 780 media placements in 50 different countries

  • 309% increase in Happy Meal conversation on global social media

  • 95% increase in Google searches for “Happy Meal”

mcdonalds international exchange


As one of the world’s most prominent brands, McDonald's ingratiates itself with other cultures. We wanted Americans who have caught the travel bug to not only access selected menu items from around the world, but also to use their leftover foreign currency to purchase them.

We introduced the Stroopwaffel McFlurry (Netherlands), the Grand McExtreme Bacon Burger (Spain), the tomato-mozzarella chicken sandwich (Canada), and the cheesy bacon fries (Australia) to the American menu at select restaurants during the summer of 2019.

It generated coverage from Business Insider and Thrillist. I was part of a team of copywriters who worked with account managers to monitor and respond to customer sentiment on social media by sitting in on the McDonald's Brand News Room.


MCDONALD's MCCAFE IT FORWARD:

McDonald’s identified 500 customers and issued them a card that was redeemable for one coffee. Each card had a tracking chip in it, so when they passed the card on to another customer, people could check online to see how far the pay-it-forward sentiment spread across the US. It generated coverage from USA Today.

I worked on the social content and digital strategy of the campaign and helped produce in-restaurant promotion materials.