Creating a one-of-a-kind experience for modern tastemakers

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.

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.