‘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.

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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’