Cannes Lions

A RING TO BRING THEM CLOSER

LEO BURNETT MOSCOW, Moscow / undefined / 2013

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Presentation Image
Case Film

Overview

Entries

Credits

Overview

Description

McDonald’s is building a House for Moms near the children’s hospital in Kazan (Tatarstan). It will allow children who undergo protracted course of therapy to spend more time with the ones they love. To raise money for this, a campaign was needed.

There was a child’s tradition in Soviet Union to make wire rings for those who you love. We decided to remind adults about this tradition. We asked children from Kazan hospital to weave wire rings for those who they miss so much. These designs were replicated in over a half a million rings sold at McDonald's restaurants all over Russia. The campaign ran across TV, outdoor and online.

We expected this idea to appeal to adults who made similar 'bijouterie' when they were kids. That we also engaged a younger audience came as a complete surprise

Execution

Insulated wire, the same stuff Soviet kids used, was used to make our rings. We also did a CG wire animation for our TV spot and carried on the same stylistics in outdoor and online media. We chose this intentionally artless, ingenuous style because it brings back memories of Soviet childhood when kids used to make their toys themselves. However clumsy and awkward, those creations had a charm of their own and a human touch. We felt that such an approach would be right for a charity campaign benefiting to children.

Outcome

- Most successful charity act of McDonald's in Russia - ever

- 505,200 rings sold in 20 days

- More than 17, 000, 000 RUB ($500 000) raised, allowing the House of Moms to be completed in July 2013.

- The campaign was successful not only in terms of charity; it increased sales in McDonald’s and helped grow recruitment.