McDonald’s share of the breakfast market was under heavy attack. Sales were declining. And, in an advertising-saturated marketplace, it was getting tougher to stand out. The challenge was three-fold:1.Make McDonald's breakfast top-of-mind among morning commuters in Chicago.2.Fire an unforgettable salvo in the so-called ‘breakfast war’ – the battle to attract hungry/thirsty morning commuters.3.Do it all with extremely limited media budget and placement.The strategy was to take traditional media (outdoor) and execute it in a way that could not be overlooked and would not be easily forgotten.

Overall dollar sales increased by 9% in an industry that measures growth by hundredths of one percent. Moreover, PR return on investment was extraordinary. Local broadcast media picked up the story, as did national and international publications including Business Week and Esquire. Online, the sundial was a huge buzz on thousands of international blogs.

Few ‘billboards’ require the aid of physicists. But creating an actual working sundial was a painstaking, mind-boggling feat of engineering.

Countless drawings, CAD diagrams, calculations, charts, satellite imagery, scale models – all went into producing a billboard that featured the McDonald's ‘M’ moving with the sun to highlight breakfast items that kept accurate time. Finding the right location was another challenge: the board needed to be both in a high-traffic area and south-facing.

Even though McDonald's breakfast crosses large demographic groups, it was 18 – 49 year-old commuters who were the main focus.

It was these commuters (pedestrians, subway and bus riders, car drivers) who were bombarded by a myriad of rival messages in the morning. Cutting through the clutter and speaking to these ad-savvy, ad-weary commuters was a major feat.