To ensure a widespread sharing of this campaign, we created a “viral kit” composed of a key visual and a video proof that were broadcasted via one unique hashtag for all digital environments: #McDriveKing.

The kit displays the construction and installation of two billboards with directions to the closest McDonald’s drive-thru and to the closest Burger King drive-thru. The video was a making of to prove the veracity of the construction!

Two physical constructions designed and built exclusively for an online campaign on social media.

Two directional billboards were built. A standard one, suggesting the closest McDonald’s drive-thru at 5km, and an impressive temporary 22 meter-high billboard, displaying 258km worth of directions to reach the closest Burger King drive thru... nearly a 5-hour car ride!

Built in the French countryside, the two billboards were imagined and built solely for a digital use. The key visual of the installation was crafted as to made as untouched and realistic as possible. The making of video would serve as the undeniable proof of the construction.

Without owning a twitter account in France, McDonald’s observed a 4 734% increase of tweets referring to the brand on average every day. #McDriveKing became a trending topic in the Paris region the day the operation was launched.

Without any media buyouts, the results measured within 5 days were spectacular and above every McDonald’s standards. Over 150 press articles worldwide for a reach of 12 880 947 impressions. Over 2-million views on Youtube and a total of 25 306 tweets with the hashtag #McDriveKing were written, making the social media reach add to 19 388 371 impressions.

The campaign buzzed online but quickly got TV coverage as the topic was discussed on national news broadcasts, business talk-shows and several other national shows at peak viewing times. Total earned media was estimated at 764 890€.

The key visual even became a meme when 6 national French brands decided to distort it.