Drive-thru businesses have grown by 42% in the last two years.

When McDonald's decided to make their Drive-thrus the most welcoming experience, we took notice of one thing. New drivers faced anxiety while navigating through tight spaces, breaking past the window and reversing, misjudging the turns and often getting stuck.

With over 13,000 new drivers every week, McDonald's wanted to make sure that every one must feel at ease driving into the Drive-thru.

To boost the confidence of new learners, we created the Drive-thru School, the first ever Drive-thru lesson program, brought to life by building a Drive-thru inside the driving practice circuit of UAE's leading driving school. Driving students were surprised with the lesson as instructors guided them through the most realistic experience of the Drive-thru, from ordering microphone, to lane turns to pickup window.

We learnt that 66% of new drivers face anxiety on the road. And that affects their decision to visit a Drive-thru. We realized that no one had ever addressed this problem:

How to drive in a Drive-thru.

To help new drivers feel more confident in a Drive-thru, we decided to tackle the problem at the root. We partnered with UAE's leading Driving school, Emirates Driving institute to launch a one-of-a-kind Drive-thru lesson.

We followed the framework of a McDonald's Drive-thru and created each element with real dimensions, from ordering microphone to lane turns, stop signs, all the way up to the pickup window. Our biggest challenge was to construct it within the existing driving practice circuit.

After several weeks of planning and designing, we built the Drive-thru in a way that surprised students mid lesson inside the driving practice circuit.

While the students enjoyed the lesson, the instructors guided them thoroughly. On passing the test, they even received a Drive-thru license. A fun way to reward them for their achievement.

Over 300 students experienced the Drive-thru school in the first week. Our campaign resonated with Drive-thru fans all over social media, reaching 32% of UAE's population, resulting in 28% increase in Dive-thru sales, 13% in Brand Love and 100% confidence among Drive-thru customers. With Drive-thru school, we not only made new drivers overcome anxiety but also prove that McDonald's Drive-thru is the most welcoming experience one could ever have.