LONDON, UK — McDonald’s and Frank’s RedHot have joined forces to create the ultimate chicken burger. To mark the collaboration, Leo Burnett, in partnership with Red Consultancy, have created “the hottest drop,” giving spice loving chicken fans a chance to get their hands on this limited-edition burger first through exclusive early-access tasting boxes.
The integrated campaign teases a passcode to the drop site across social executions, fly-poster inspired OOH and in-restaurant radio.
The FOMO-inspiring social film was created in partnership with Fred Rowson from Blink Productions. Interrupting McDonalds’ social feed with a very important announcement, the spot begins with spicy chicken connoisseur, Tanya, in her influencer style studio covered top to bottom in McSpicy x Frank’s RedHot merch and branding. She gives a glowing review of the McSpicy x Frank’s RedHot burger, before offering a subtle clue to help fans get their hands on the pre-launch drop. The film was developed in partnership with the Diversity Standards Collective.
Leo Burnett will also drive excitement for the collaboration through cryptic outdoor ads. Viewers will be able to access the hottest drop website by entering a secret code which has been leaked and pasted across “red hot” out-of-home posters, emblazoned with flame imagery.
Those who miss the hottest drop don’t need to worry, as the McSpicy x Frank’s RedHot arrives at McDonald’s on February 07, and will be supported by a dedicated launch campaign across TV, broadcast AV, OOH, radio and social.
Ben Sherburn, Head of Marketing for Food & Beverages at McDonald’s UK & Ireland, said, “McDonald’s and Frank’s RedHot are two iconic brands coming together for an exciting sauce collaboration, firmly cementing our spice credentials in the chicken space. Our approach for this campaign was to engage fans of both brands by tapping into the feeling of drop culture through a fun, interactive campaign.”
Al Thaker, Flavor Solutions Marketing Director & Agnieszka Witczak UK Consumer Marketing Director at McCormick & Company, said, “We are very excited about this Frank’s RedHot x McSpicy collaboration with McDonald’s! Adding Frank’s RedHot Mayo to the iconic McSpicy burger will bring the perfect blend of flavour and heat to the McDonalds menu.”
Andrew Long and James Millers, Creative Partners at Leo Burnett UK, said, “McSpicy and Frank’s RedHot are both iconic products with strong Gen Z appeal. So, to mark the launch of this epic collab, we wanted to tap into a trend that fans of both brands could enjoy. Bringing the exclusivity of drop culture to the masses, in a way that feels true to the audience yet unashamedly populist.”
Credits:
CAMPAIGN TITLE: Hottest Drop
CLIENT: McDonald’s UK & IE
ADVERTISING AGENCY: Leo Burnett UKCCO: Mark Elwood
CCO: Mark Elwood
CREATIVE PARTNERS: Andrew Long & James Millers
CREATIVE: Alice Pearce
DESIGNER: Phil Bosher
MOTION DESIGNER: Carmen Perez Jimenez
PROJECT MANAGER: Danny Wallace
DEPUTY CSO: Tom Sussman
PLANNING DIRECTOR: Hamish Cameron
SOCIAL PLANNING DIRECTOR: Benjamin Obadia
BUSINESS DIRECTORS: Jay Perry & Gemma Troup
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: Maddie McCarthy
SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER: Nicola Kuan
ACCOUNT MANAGER: Brittony Kelly
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Simran-May Johal
CHIEF PRODUCTION OFFICER: Emily Marr
MICROSITE BUILD: Carta Creative
BACKEND BUILD: tms
AGENCY PRODUCER: Peter Williams
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Blink Productions
DIRECTOR: Fred Rowson
PRODUCER: Corin Taylor
EDITOR: Samuel Marr
EDIT PRODUCER: Angela Hart
POST-PRODUCTION COMPANY: Black Kite
VFX LEAD: Dan Sanders
MOTION DESIGN: Neil Szymanski
COLOURIST : Richard Fearon
VFX & COLOUR PRODUCER: Holly Tidwell
AUDIO POST-PRODUCTION COMPANY: Wave Studios
SOUND DESIGN: Parv Thind
AUDIO PRODUCER: Ornela Peka
MUSIC SUPERVISION: Wake the Town
McDonald’s Brand Team:
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, S.V.P: Michelle Graham-Clare
MARKETING DIRECTOR: Matt Reischauer
HEAD OF MARKETING, FOOD & BEVERAGES: Ben Sherburn
HEAD OF CONSUMER COMMUNICATIONS & PARTNERSHIPS: Louise Page
MARKETING MANAGER: Ana Saffer
BRAND MANAGER: Josie Thompson-Green
CAMPAIGN ASSISTANT: Kara Minnis
Agency Partners
MEDIA: OMD UK
ORGANIC SOCIAL: Oliver
PR: Red
CRM: Armadillo
IN-STORE: Linney
WEB DEVELOPMENT: tms
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION: The Diversity Standards Collective
