2024 Winner
GoldEmerging Talent: New Media Thinking
McDonald's
"Menu Song"
OMD, Mikayla Smith
"Menu Song"
OMD, Mikayla Smith
Despite being in the media industry for fewer than 5 years, this employee is already trusted in leading McDonald's biggest, most important campaigns, including Monopoly. When it came time to introduce a new generation to remix of an iconic campaign, there was no one better to lead the charge.
Reimagining the McDonald’s “Menu Song” for a new social-first generation. Introducing the “Menu Song” Remix: a modern take on McDonald’s original 1989 track, crafted in collaboration with platinum artist Lil Yachty, a former McDonald's crew member.
Alongside Lil Yachty, Montreal-born multi-instrumentalist Mike Clay created a French-language remix, recognizing that the Quebec market has different cultural relevance and followings compared to the rest of the Country. The campaign featured a contemporary mashup of iconic McDonald’s
menu items in song form.
The agency also remixed the menu with limited-time Gen-Z-inspired items like the Surf‘n Turf burger, now a permanent fixture on the McD’s menu.
The campaign’s vibrant, unpredictable vibe was inspired by the artists' social media presence, strategically connecting with the brand’s target audience through authentic content and engaging media formats.
Music is the essence of culture. Young Canadians are exploring, sharing, and enjoying music in novel ways, sourcing tunes from TikTok, streaming music videos on YouTube, and curating
personalized playlists.
Despite evolving platforms, certain songs transcend generations, languages, and foster connections, becoming ingrained in culture. To immerse ourselves in this cultural phenomenon, the brand launched like a music release, encouraging the brand’s audience to interact and play with their content.
Tease the Remix Teased the remix through McDonald’s and Lil Yachty’s owned channels Drop the Remix Dropped the remix through high-reaching paid tactics to win over Gen Z where they stream music, watch music videos, and scroll mobile devices all day Play the Remix Created custom units for consumers to remix with Yachty through karaoke filters and customized user experiences matching mood to menu items Taste the Remix After seeing their fav menu classics remixed, we made it
easy to order.
Launching in March 2024, this was a 4-month cross-functional collaboration across multiple agency partners, blending the style, vibe, and cultural relevance of Lil Yachty with the iconic menu.
As a digital native, this employee knew exactly the right way not only to reach the brand’s target, but to garner their attention.
Mc Donald’s achieved mass reach through TV and DOOH, but digital was where the remix truly thrived. The brand teased, then dropped the track across social. They built a remix experience to keep up with Yachty’s rap game on TikTok (6.3M reach with a custom branded effect & influencer content support), Snapchat (4.6M reach with a lens that allowed users to rap along with Lil Yachty), & Spotify (2.3M reach where users could create their own “daytime” playlist based on key McDonald’s menu items). Finally, they tapped into YouTube’s mass reach (audience size: 12.6M) to take over the Coachella live stream in Canada (100% SOV), including Lil Yachty’s performance & high-impact placements such as YouTube’s trending music &YouTube select shorts: Music Lineup. The Coachella live stream was a particularly notable accomplishment, as the opportunity came after the final plan had been approved by clients.
This employee expertly crafted the right story of how Coachella would connect with the brand’s target, and got clients to quickly align to a new plan with revised activity. In addition to being an expert media planner, they also excel in collaboration. With so many moving pieces, the collaboration between agencies and client, led by this employee, is what allowed for the campaign's success.
This employee consistently brings the biggest, most impactful, and most meaningful innovation to McDonald's campaigns. They do this by understanding audiences at a deeper level, before surfacing any tactics. They found that creating stronger connections with young Canadians requires re-thinking a media approach: being culturally relevant and creating with Gen Z is essential.
Music is incredibly important to how younger generations define and relate to one another, and the way they like to create on social media. Music is discovered and interacted with differently by Gen Z. Over 65% of Canadian Gen Z discover music and pop culture trends via YouTube &TikTok.
McDonald’s Canada aimed to engage a new generation that proved challenging to reach through traditional advertising methods. Acknowledging the necessity of earning attention in today's competitive advertising landscape, they focused on fostering authentic connections that resonate with Gen Z interests and behaviors.
In the research that this employee spearheaded, one notable trend emerged: Gen Z has embraced the practice of singing their McDonald's orders. Whether inside the restaurant or at the drive-thru window, vocalizing their orders has become a popular trend among this demographic.
In the “Menu Song”, McDonald’s Canada identified a cultural moment ripe for engagement and fun. Leveraging this opportunity, the brand sought to showcase the depth, quality, and joy of it’s menu offering. To not just reach but relate to their audience, the employee leaned into media partnerships, event sponsorships, and media-led creative designed to be both shared but also co-created.
Despite being "brand love" first, the Remix campaign drove immediate sales impact, with a 36% increase in burger sales in week one. In total, the campaign lifted the burger category 15%, more than double forecast. Based on an Ipsos study, the Gen Z-first campaign that this employee led drove ad recognition 55% higher than campaign norms.
Reimagining the McDonald’s “Menu Song” for a new social-first generation. Introducing the “Menu Song” Remix: a modern take on McDonald’s original 1989 track, crafted in collaboration with platinum artist Lil Yachty, a former McDonald's crew member.
Alongside Lil Yachty, Montreal-born multi-instrumentalist Mike Clay created a French-language remix, recognizing that the Quebec market has different cultural relevance and followings compared to the rest of the Country. The campaign featured a contemporary mashup of iconic McDonald’s
menu items in song form.
The agency also remixed the menu with limited-time Gen-Z-inspired items like the Surf‘n Turf burger, now a permanent fixture on the McD’s menu.
The campaign’s vibrant, unpredictable vibe was inspired by the artists' social media presence, strategically connecting with the brand’s target audience through authentic content and engaging media formats.
Music is the essence of culture. Young Canadians are exploring, sharing, and enjoying music in novel ways, sourcing tunes from TikTok, streaming music videos on YouTube, and curating
personalized playlists.
Despite evolving platforms, certain songs transcend generations, languages, and foster connections, becoming ingrained in culture. To immerse ourselves in this cultural phenomenon, the brand launched like a music release, encouraging the brand’s audience to interact and play with their content.
Tease the Remix Teased the remix through McDonald’s and Lil Yachty’s owned channels Drop the Remix Dropped the remix through high-reaching paid tactics to win over Gen Z where they stream music, watch music videos, and scroll mobile devices all day Play the Remix Created custom units for consumers to remix with Yachty through karaoke filters and customized user experiences matching mood to menu items Taste the Remix After seeing their fav menu classics remixed, we made it
easy to order.
Launching in March 2024, this was a 4-month cross-functional collaboration across multiple agency partners, blending the style, vibe, and cultural relevance of Lil Yachty with the iconic menu.
As a digital native, this employee knew exactly the right way not only to reach the brand’s target, but to garner their attention.
Mc Donald’s achieved mass reach through TV and DOOH, but digital was where the remix truly thrived. The brand teased, then dropped the track across social. They built a remix experience to keep up with Yachty’s rap game on TikTok (6.3M reach with a custom branded effect & influencer content support), Snapchat (4.6M reach with a lens that allowed users to rap along with Lil Yachty), & Spotify (2.3M reach where users could create their own “daytime” playlist based on key McDonald’s menu items). Finally, they tapped into YouTube’s mass reach (audience size: 12.6M) to take over the Coachella live stream in Canada (100% SOV), including Lil Yachty’s performance & high-impact placements such as YouTube’s trending music &YouTube select shorts: Music Lineup. The Coachella live stream was a particularly notable accomplishment, as the opportunity came after the final plan had been approved by clients.
This employee expertly crafted the right story of how Coachella would connect with the brand’s target, and got clients to quickly align to a new plan with revised activity. In addition to being an expert media planner, they also excel in collaboration. With so many moving pieces, the collaboration between agencies and client, led by this employee, is what allowed for the campaign's success.
This employee consistently brings the biggest, most impactful, and most meaningful innovation to McDonald's campaigns. They do this by understanding audiences at a deeper level, before surfacing any tactics. They found that creating stronger connections with young Canadians requires re-thinking a media approach: being culturally relevant and creating with Gen Z is essential.
Music is incredibly important to how younger generations define and relate to one another, and the way they like to create on social media. Music is discovered and interacted with differently by Gen Z. Over 65% of Canadian Gen Z discover music and pop culture trends via YouTube &TikTok.
McDonald’s Canada aimed to engage a new generation that proved challenging to reach through traditional advertising methods. Acknowledging the necessity of earning attention in today's competitive advertising landscape, they focused on fostering authentic connections that resonate with Gen Z interests and behaviors.
In the research that this employee spearheaded, one notable trend emerged: Gen Z has embraced the practice of singing their McDonald's orders. Whether inside the restaurant or at the drive-thru window, vocalizing their orders has become a popular trend among this demographic.
In the “Menu Song”, McDonald’s Canada identified a cultural moment ripe for engagement and fun. Leveraging this opportunity, the brand sought to showcase the depth, quality, and joy of it’s menu offering. To not just reach but relate to their audience, the employee leaned into media partnerships, event sponsorships, and media-led creative designed to be both shared but also co-created.
Despite being "brand love" first, the Remix campaign drove immediate sales impact, with a 36% increase in burger sales in week one. In total, the campaign lifted the burger category 15%, more than double forecast. Based on an Ipsos study, the Gen Z-first campaign that this employee led drove ad recognition 55% higher than campaign norms.
Credits
Media Agency: OMD Canada - Mikayla Smith, Associate Director, StrategyBrand: McDonalds
Creative Agency: Cossette