McDonald's needed to find newer ways to connect with GenZ and their passions. And with India having the 4th largest and fastest growing Anime fan base in the world; it seemed a great way to build this connect. But McDonald's was already speaking to Anime fans in their universe, through different avatars of the world's favourite burger chain. Avatars that were strikingly similar to McDonald's in name, colours and look.

Where the legal department would have seen a suit, we saw our opportunity. If ‘Imitation is the best form of flattery’, imagine what an imitation of an imitation would do.

Hence our brief: do what we do best, use our history, leverage our rite of passage intrinsically and own another subculture.

By tapping into their passions, we aimed to solidify our status as a cultural icon for a new generation.

MCDONALD'S OWNS ITS COPY

We aimed to take creative leaps like never before, going beyond mere lip service to host the anime subculture. While launching an anime meal and stopping there would have been easy, we wanted to truly honour the anime community. Our alter egos in the manifold anime shows fully retained the essence of McDonald’s, and it was time for McDonald’s to do the same.

So, we decided to cosplay by making a copy of a copy. In paying homage to the anime community for their recognition, we proudly cosplayed McDonald's into its alter ego straight out of anime. Right from the signage to the interiors to the packaging to the servers to our presence at Comicons - everything took GenZ back to their favourite hangout in the Anime world.

Through extensive consumer conversations and observational research, we discovered that for Gen Z, fan communities were integral to their identity, going beyond a mere passion. Enter Anime-the subculture that was yet to have its moment.

Hence, we targeted India's booming anime fanbase, driven by a staggering 25% growth, culminating in a whopping INR 38 billion market, and boasting over 120 million viewers nationwide.

Our strategy was clear: "Bring ourselves closer to their world by bringing them closer to their anime world." Unlike conventional brand campaigns, where brands take the lead, this was a co-created endeavor with the true anime custodians—our customers spearheading the campaign. Their active involvement and engagement in our stores, with our crew was pivotal in thrusting the campaign into the spotlight.

WcDonald's made the leap from fantasy to reality with a bang!

We cosplayed our flagship stores in key cities boasting the largest anime fandom as we followed Comic Con’s lead starting with Mumbai.

At Comic Con, every detail was meticulously cosplayed, from flyers to interactive experiences like scanning a burger man for exclusive offers redeemable at the nearest 'WcDonald’s' store.

Authenticity was our secret sauce for success. We flipped the world's most recognized brand mark upside down to become Anime's favourite hangout - WcDonald's. Every detail, from staff uniforms to menu boards, transitioned seamlessly from the screen to our real-world WcDonald's for anime fans. Collectible exchanges, manga art showcases, and a special Anime meal with the Savoury Chili WcDonald’s Sauce straight out of animeland delighted fans.

Lastly, not to leave the anime universe at McDonald’s incomplete we invited true Anime custodians- cosplay influencers, Japanese manga artists and their fans.

"McDonald’s Cosplay Store" surged to become the second most searched term in its debut week.

Targeted anime hubs—Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru—witnessed a 15% surge in foot traffic, defying the pre-campaign -4% downturn in each of these stores respectively.

McDonald’s network overall (South & West Regions) saw a robust 10% footfall increase, against a -4% industry trend.

Comic Con presence captivated 200k+ attendees, cementing McDonald’s in the subculture scene.

Commanded a dominant 53% share of voice, steering conversations.

Despite initial negativity, positive sentiments doubled, eclipsing detractors.