Cannes Lions
TBWA\Paris, Boulogne-Billancourt / MCDONALD'S / 2023
Overview
Entries
Credits
Background
McDonald's France has already noticed that its exclusive McBaguette is already creating a buzz on social media. Everyone on this planet deserves to know this sandwich. Entertainment is a universal language that speaks to everyone and Netflix uses that through its platform. That's why a series like Emily in Paris, a top 10 Netflix series that plays with French culture and its stereotypes, is perfect for spreading the word about this recipe that McDonald's France is so proud of.
But you can only try this burger in France. After featuring McDonald's in the series Emily in Paris, it's Emily's universe that needs to infiltrate the daily lives of French residents or tourists. With its 1500 restaurants in France and a large social media following, McDonald's France can also highlight this partnership with a work of fiction in everyday life.
Idea
McDonald's France has completely abandoned its American origins to create the McBaguette, its greatest pride that sets it apart from others. The main character of Emily in Paris also left her native America.
Luxury and fashion, which inspire the series, and McDonald's, initially seem opposed but ultimately have common ground. Seeing everyone's habits with series, we decided to place the Frenchest of burgers at the heart of the Frenchest of American series.
To bring fiction back to reality, the McBaguette is presented as in the series in a special menu created for all fans.
Emily in Paris is primarily focused on fashion and on the runways, the "baguette" is an elongated bag that is carried under the arm, reminiscent of the French baguette. By using these codes and trends, McDonald's has created the McBaguette baguette bag to talk about this exclusive partnership.
Strategy
There is a real phenomenon surrounding McDonald's abroad. Trying McDonald's during a trip is part of discovering the culture. It has almost become a tradition.
Emily in Paris has over 50 million viewers per season, and that's how many people now know about McDonald's around the world. The influence of the series no longer needs to be proven. Twice as effective as fashion week, every place in France, event in Paris, or item shown in the series creates a great buzz. This series is the perfect place to reveal the McBaguette to the world.
Nowadays, series are our references. We all like to look or act like our favorite characters. McDonald's is bringing a little bit of that fiction into real life with a special Emily in Paris menu featuring the McBaguette and an exclusive fashion item that Emily could wear.
Outcome
This collaboration is a real success, with one episode viewed by more than 50 million people worldwide. McDonald's is present for more than 7 minutes in the episode with 16 brand or product mentions.
The campaign is also very engaging, with many social media users talking about it on TikTok, generating over a million views on spontaneous content. It also generated record interaction rates of over 95% and the most viewed story on the McDonald's France account. The entire campaign was shared in 17 countries and covered in more than fifty press outlets.
The collaboration with Netflix reinforces McDonald's position in pop culture and has had a direct impact on sales: McDonald's traffic has increased, forecasts have doubled, and one in five McBaguettes was sold from the Emily in Paris menu.
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