Opportunity
We had the chance to reinvigorate classic menu items through launching McDonald’s first Artist Residency program and driving cultural relevancy for one of the world’s most loved brands.
Creating a one-of-a-kind experience for modern tastemakers
Approach
Working in tandem with McDonald’s agency partners, tms helped amplify the brand’s place in culture by creating a program that connected the brand with today’s leading creatives — a fresh way to promote classic menu items. Known for its designs that feature an array of characters, Cactus Plant Flea Market has a niche place in the cultural zeitgeist and was the perfect partner to kickstart the program. Tapping our collective marketing and sourcing expertise, we turned heritage characters into highly-sought-after premium collectibles. Not only did we design the figurines themselves, but we also developed retail, packaging, and omni-channel assets.
Outcome
This program outperformed projections across many key objectives, including average check amount and units sold, netting out to an early end to the program due to depleted supplies generated from high popularity. The successes of this program outweighed previous Famous Orders/Big Bet campaigns for the brand. The program also garnered high levels of attention and positive mentions from traditional and social media.
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McDonald’s | Coast-to-Coast MONOPOLY
Boosting the momentum of a long-standing program
Boosting brand love with an exciting promotion
Opportunity
Noticing a pattern of decreasing visits to its restaurants during the month of October, McDonald’s wanted to introduce a month-long program that would tempt customers back. We made it our objective to turn that around by crafting an experience that drove guest counts, reinvigorated sales, and boosted brand affinity.
Approach
tms put a new twist on the standard sweepstakes promotion with an exciting Halloween campaign that drove guests back into stores.
Outcome
We developed a bold program called “Trick. Treat. Win!” which leveraged a timely Halloween theme and a chance at instant-win prizes to delight customers. And for the first time ever, our program gave customers the opportunity to choose the prizes they won. As well as owning the campaign strategy, our creative identity featured across stores, digital channels, and the campaign packaging.
Results
1.3
Billion
sweepstakes entries
4.1
Million
app downloads
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McDonald’s | McCafé® Be a Brew-Gooder
Forging a feel-good grassroots program
Driving McCafé® sustainability efforts
Opportunity
McDonald’s sought to overhaul its foam McCafé® coffee cups based on customer insights and a need to align supplier practices with sustainability goals.
Approach
McDonald’s tapped tms to initiate, manage, and implement the conversion of their foam cup to a renewable resource with the optimized double-wall fiber hot cup. It had to be cost-effective and easily deployed to more than 14,000 restaurants in the United States. Recognizing the gold-standard of the FSC® certification and influence of the trademark and organizational reach of the label, tms also managed the phase-in of the FSC® certified board and subsequently included the graphic on the hot cup.
Outcome
The resulting cup aligned with brand demand for sustainable products as well as consumer expectations for quality and corporate responsibility, making it cost-neutral for McDonald’s and its customers. Furthermore, the redesign promoted environmental sustainability and highlighted McDonald’s FSC® certification and sustainable practices. The cup’s increased insulation eliminates the need for a sleeve, leading to a reduction in material use and freight cost.
Results
5.8
million
a pounds packaging waste saved
5.2
million
pound initial goal surpassed
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McDonald’s | Tail-Spend
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McDonald’s | Thoughtful Design
Delivering culturally relevant design to bring families together
Delivering culturally relevant design to bring families together
Opportunity
McDonald’s wanted to introduce rice-based entrees in Northern Asia to grow the dinner day part and find a way to bring families together. They needed a short-term packaging solution that allowed for effective containment in less than three months. They were also looking for a longer-term solution that offered a more consumer-centric approach.
Approach
tms took a two-step functional packaging approach for both short and long-term gains. The first batch of packaging was delivered in less than three months, allowing the restaurant to quickly launch rice entrees. For the longer-term solution, tms analyzed main consumer preferences for a dinner experience. We harnessed these insights to create new packaging that encouraged meal sharing while maintaining product integrity and quality.
Outcome
Leveraging tms’s award-winning design teams and extensive supplier network, we delivered new packaging in record time, then adapted the next round of designs using our findings with limited investment on the front end. Our modular packaging enhances the customer experience, allowing them to share food in a way that feels comfortable and familiar.
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Tackling tail-spend to unlock savings
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McDonald’s | Smart Sourcing
Cutting operational supply costs through smart sourcing