‘Side Missions’

If life is the main mission, McDonald’s is the side mission. That spontaneous detour that ends up being more fun than whatever you were supposed to be doing. This summer, we celebrated that fan truth by tapping into the gaming origins of the phrase side missions to turn everything fans love about McDonald’s into a playable brand experience.

The campaign launched with a  film directed by Elliot Power – a fast moving, cinematic spot that blurs the lines between gaming and real life. Shot with the energy of a side mission in progress, it transforms spontaneous McDonald’s moments into epic gaming inspired moment. From late-night drive-thrus to Fries shared on the way, the film captures the thrill of a detour to McDonald’s and makes the everyday feel epic.

‘McDonald’s levels up’

– Contagious

The launch film was just the beginning. Side Missions came to life across the full McDonald’s experience: a limited-time Side Missions Menu turned fan favourites into unlockable flavours, in-app challenges rewarded players with exclusive offers, and legendary Side Missions co-created with the nation’s biggest gamers, including Angry Ginge, Manny and Poopernoodle seeded the campaign directly into culture.

From surprise stunts to social drops, each touchpoint gamified the everyday detour to McDonald’s. Proving Side Missions wasn’t just a campaign, but a new way to experience the brand. Fans weren’t just watching, they were playing, blurring the lines between brand and fandom, transforming McDonald’s into a co-created cultural experience. Mission complete.

Featured on:

Selected recognition:

Contagious ‘Campaign Of The Week’ / System 1 ‘Campaign Of The Week / The Drum ‘Campaign of the week’ / Creative Salon ‘Work of the week’ / Ad Age ‘Editors Pick’ / Campaign ‘Ad Of The Day’ / Famous Campaigns ‘Ad of the day’ / The Drum ‘Ad of the day’ / David Reviews ‘Pick of the day’

No matter who you are, however big or famous, everyone has a McDonald’s order. For the first time ever in the UK, we gave fans a chance to order like their icons by teaming up with legendary grime artist Stormzy and putting his signature meal of “9 McNuggets, Fries, Sprite, Oreo McFlurry, and BBQ Sauce” on the McDonald’s menu.

We launched the promotion with a film directed by music video legend, Paul Hunter. The two-minute film opens with Stormzy strolling into a McDonald’s and ordering his meal. When another customer overhears the order, the South London tones of Stormzy’s voice come from their mouth as they order the same thing, kick starting a chain reaction as McDonald’s fans across the nation literally ‘Order like Stormzy’.

‘A perfect collab’

– Rolling Stone

The film was supported by a national out of home campaign, featuring candid black and white images of Stormzy eating his meal at a McDonald’s restaurant. As well as iconic Stormzy designed merch, an immersive experience at his hometown restaurant in Croydon, and an interactive Snapchat activation that integrates the brand into users’ direct messages on Snapchat, inviting them to try Stormzy’s signature order.

Featured on:

Selected recognition:

The Drum ‘Campaign of the week’ / Creative Salon ‘Work of the week’ / Ad Age ‘Editors Pick’ / Campaign ‘Ad Of The Day’ / Famous Campaigns ‘Ad of the day’ / The Drum ‘Ad of the day’ / David Reviews ‘Pick of the day’