McDonald’s has released the second installment in its immensely successful ‘Raise Your Arches’ brand platform, which debuted with an Edgar Wright-directed effort in January. The brand has tapped The Greatest Showman director, Michael Gracey, for its latest effort.
Notorious at the time of its release for its very conspicuous lack of McDonald’s branding or restaurant locations, the spot divided opinions among the public but has gone to find success at Cannes this year, picking up a Bronze Lion.
Developed by global agency Leo Burnett, the creative revolves around the idea that the McDonald’s experience is so ubiquitous that an act as simple as raising your eyebrows can be interpreted as “Fancy a McDonald’s”?
The new summer holiday-themed spot sees McDonald’s fever spread like wildfire across a traffic jam on a busy dual carriageway, with jubilant motorists finally setting off towards the arches once the traffic light turn green.
Set to the 1985 classic track ‘Oh Yeah’ by Yello (of Ferris Bueller fame), the ad once again features no dialogue, and the McDonald’s logo is only partially visible for the last remaining seconds of the film.
According to System1’s Test Your Ad platform, the ad was found to be the public’s ‘Most Liked’ Cannes Lions winner.
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“More and more brands are realising that to grow you should entertain for commercial gain – so it’s great to see a return to funny advertising”, System1 chief customer officer Jon Evans said.
“Humour is a time-honoured way of helping to create positive feeling and capture attention. McDonald’s, Apple and Marmite show you can do surreal, satirical and slapstick comedy and not only win a Lion but win over the broader audience as well.”
