LONDON, UK — After weeks of fanning the flames of speculation and several “accidental” hints, McDonald’s has officially confirmed what fans have been eagerly hoping for — the McRib is back. Actually, totally, properly back.
Fans were quick to pick up on a series of “mistakes” McDonald’s made over the past few weeks, from glitchy app notifications to cryptic ads. Now, McDonald’s has finally owned up to them. As it turns out, these weren’t mistakes at all, but part of its strategy to build the legend of the McRib before the big reveal.
The campaign, “McRib Returns?,” kicked off with a push notification sent to McDonald’s 1.82 million app users, which simply read: “McRib_Test.notification_16.10.24 [TEST].” From there, the teases only grew bolder. A broken email sent to McDonald’s CRM base followed shortly after, setting social media alight with questions about whether the McRib was truly coming back. Glitchy appearances of the McRib popped up in ads across London, leaving fans guessing whether they were seeing things — or seeing the future.
Alongside the infamous app notification and broken email, creative agency Leo Burnett created a custom track titled “McRib FM,” which was “accidentally” played in McDonald’s restaurants every two hours and launched on Spotify on October 03. Then, on October 07, OOH placements with the cryptic message “The McRib isn’t not back” further fuelled the anticipation. McDonald’s responded to the McRib teases with playful captions like, “To be clear, it’s almost definitely probably not not not coming back.”
To ignite fan anticipation, Red Consultancy unleashed glitch-themed assets to key influencers and media outlets, setting the stage for a tantalizing teaser campaign. It organized a mysterious Dark Tasting event and hosted top content creators at Thorpe Park’s infamous Fright Night, where lucky attendees at both events became the first to savor the McRib, served fresh from McDonald’s brand-new burger van. By collaborating with influential personalities, Red Consultancy curated exciting, shareable content that quickly fuelled the buzz, sparking even more excitement across social platforms and building momentum with media for the McRib’s return.
With the official announcement, McDonald’s and Leo Burnett delivered on the hype in emphatic style with a bold 10-second AV film. Set to the iconic beat of “Party Up (Up in Here)” by DMX, the spot played on the mystery has led up to this announcement, confirming in big, bold impactful text: “The McRib is back.”
The film is supported by radio, OOH, in-restaurant, and CRM promotions that play on the myth-like status of the McRib, which returns to the UK after nearly a decade. The campaign amplifies the anticipation with playful messaging such as “This is not a drill” and “Available until it isn’t,” reminding fans to grab their McRib while they can.
McDonald’s and Leo Burnett invite customers to commemorate the McRib’s return. Before the McRib disappears from menus, fans who tag @McDonaldsUK on Instagram with their McRib will get the chance to win this moment immortalized forever on a crystal photo cube as the ultimate McRib memento.
The campaign was a cross-agency collaboration: Leo Burnett led creative, digital, and social; RED Consultancy handled PR, events, and social; OMD UK managed all media buying and planning; Linney managed all BTL/POP communications; and Armadillo handled CRM.
Alexandra Martin, Senior Brand Manager at McDonald’s, said, “We’ve been having a bit of fun with McRib fans – accidental notifications, glitchy ads, and plenty of hints dropped along the way. But now the secret’s out! This is not a drill. The McRib is officially backity back back. We couldn’t be more excited to see everyone’s reactions. It’s time for fans to finally get stuck in.”
Andrew Long and James Millers, Executive Creative Directors at Leo Burnett UK, added, “The McRib is a cultural icon, so it was important to make sure this campaign didn’t just celebrate that, but actually leveraged and built on its legendary status. By understanding how the brand lives in the real world, we have been able to build hype in a playful and culturally relevant way, which fans have loved.”
