We’re proud to play a part in thanking McDonald’s US Crew members under their new brand trust initiative, “Now Serving™.” The “Thank You Crew” campaign, a subset of that initiative, aims to recognize Crew that go above and beyond for customers or deserve extra recognition for what they do. “Now Serving™” will be an ongoing brand initiative for McDonald’s in 2023 and beyond, focused on highlighting their goals of selling delicious food and serving communities.

Our retail team helped bring “Thank You Crew” to life via in-store elements including a bag stuffer and counter card with a tear pad that can be torn off, executed in both English and Spanish. From April 21 until May 22, customers can tear off a sheet from the Tear Pad to take with them for more information on the program and scan the code that leads them to the website for submission of their favorite crew story.

Our promotions and activations team also refreshed the ThankYouCrew.com website to align with the new Thank You Crew and “Now Serving™” program’s visual identity. The site serves as the program’s story submission hub, where customers, Crew, restaurant managers, among others can submit stories about Crew members to thank them for all they do. The refreshed ThankYouCrew.com launched on Thursday, April 20th.

Some of our favorite stories live on ThankYouCrew.com so far include:

A Special “Little Nugget” Delivery

When customers needed them most, this Atlanta McDonald’s Crew delivered – literally! Sha’querria, Keisha and Tunisia took customer care to new heights when they helped an expecting mother give birth in their restaurant.

Thank You, Atlanta Crew!

Raising the Bar on Customer Service

Compassionate. Sensitive. Understanding. These are just a few words that describe Matt, who goes above and beyond to look out for his customers in Rochester, New York, going so far as to bringing drinks out to this favorite customer’s car.

Thank You, Matt!

Celebrating a Quarter of a Century in the Crew

For some, 25 years is just a number. For Jamie, it’s 25 years of smiles, good vibes and being a wonderful start to her customers’ days. The Owner/Operators of the Costa Enterprises organization and its executive staff celebrated 25 years of Jamie at their Bluewater Bay, Florida, McDonald’s with cake and a special lunch where they unveiled a plaque in her honor.

Thank You, Jamie!

Erica Goldstick, Senior Account Executive at tms said: “From a retail perspective, the Thank You Crew April ’23 window within McDonald’s Brand Trust initiative was super interesting and fun to work on because we were able to focus on and celebrate McDonald’s brand values and culture. It felt super special to help shine a light on McDonald’s Crew and the important role they play within McDonald’s ecosystem. In addition, with the code included on retail elements for consumers to submit their crew stories, McDonald’s is able to tangibly see those meaningful connections made each day.”

Head to ThankYouCrew.com to read more submit!

We were proud to lead the strategy and execution of “The Masked Singer” Happy Meal® at McDonald’s in the United States, Canada (CA), the United Kingdom (UK), and the Republic of Ireland(ROI). The campaign uses the power of imagination and surprise to replicate key elements of the beloved TV series, including different iconic masked character toys.

Like guessing the singer behind the mask in the show, US and CA customers will receive a blind bag in their Happy Meal® box, giving them the chance to guess which character they’re going to get before opening it. The packaging features clues to help families guess which character is inside.

US Characters and POP Designs

In the UK and ROI, we worked with Bandicoot and feature characters from their line up. Likewise, in the US and CA, we worked with Fox to create fan-favorite characters in their first-ever consumer product to launch tied to the show, exclusive to McDonald’s.

“The Masked Singer was such a great collaboration to be a part of! Turning fan-favorite costumes into adorable Happy Meal® plush toys was such a fun experience and I have loved seeing fan (and celebrity!) reactions to the toys online!” said Mae Matoka, Associate Account Executive at tms Chicago.

tms is proud to have created a robust restaurant — experience for McDonald’s Cardi B and Offset couple’s meal launching on Valentine’s Day.

First announced following the Super Bowl, McDonald’s collaboration with one of music’s biggest husband-and-wife duos was hotly anticipated. tms worked closely with the famous couple’s teams to create the campaign promotional assets seen throughout the customer retail experience. Our creative begins at the restaurant exterior and continues in-store, or to the drive-through point-of-purchase, and then closes the loop with post-purchase imagery featuring Cardi B and Offset congratulating customers on their order choice. That’s not all, as Boxer Brand Design — our embedded branding and packaging agency — executed the creative focus to produce eye-catching promotional carry out bags and cold cups given to customers for the duration of the program.

Available until March 12th, there’s still time to get your order in!

tms launches “Raise your Arches” campaign in the McDonald’s app

There was no better way to usher in the holiday season than with sharing! We were thrilled to help launch SZN of Sharing in the McDonald’s app — a first-of-its-kind holiday offer — last month.

Our team worked alongside McDonald’s agency partners to bring SZN of Sharing to the US market from December 5 to 25, including an Appstakes, exclusive access to merchandise for purchase, and food offers for participating McDonald’s customers. We also amplified the campaign via retail elements and festive SZN of Sharing packaging.

During two different drops on December 7 and 14, fans had the opportunity to secure exclusive merch via Golden Arches Unlimited. The first featured Chicken McNuggets stockings, McDonald’s Dream Order PJs, a McDonald’s AM Wrapper Hoodie, a PM Wrapper Hoodie in Egg McMuffin or Cheeseburger prints, and a puzzle featuring your favorite McDonald’s dipping sauces. We partnered with Diamond Supply Co.® on the second drop of Hamburglar graphic tees, hoodies, and beanies.

Most notably, we brought customers not only daily deals on fan-favorite menu items but also the chance to win a rare “McGold Card.” Three lucky winners will receive a card that they can use to access “McDonald’s for Life”* as well as three additional McGold Cards to give to three of their closest friends.

“A program that leveraged so many of our teams to drive results, SZN of Sharing is a fantastic example of the ‘Power of And’ that emphasizes our commitment to continuously building and solidifying our partnership with McDonald’s,” said Brooke Bohannon, VP Account Director, tms.

*McDonald’s For Life reflects two meals/week for 50 years. No Purchase is Necessary to enter/win a prize. A Purchase Will Not Improve Chances of Winning. McDonald’s for Life Appstakes begins 12/5/22 and ends 12/25/22. Open to residents of the 50 U.S./DC, 16+ only. Must be opted into the My McDonald’s Rewards program. To enter without making a purchase, see Official Rules at McDonaldsforLifeSweeps.com for the Entry link and details. Limit 1 entry/day. Void where prohibited. Odds of winning depend on the number of Entries received for the applicable drawing. 

On October 3, McDonald’s launched its new program, Artist Residency, which offers rotating designers the chance to reimagine McDonald’s most iconic menu items. Each designer is given the opportunity to transform an everyday trip into a one-of-a-kind experience for multicultural youth tastemakers.

As one of the hottest streetwear brands today, Cactus Plant Flea Market (CPFM) were the perfect brand to kickstart the program, offering grown ups a nostalgic box and the chance to collect limited edition collectibles.

CPFM is owned by Cynthia Lu — in a game dominated by male designers, Lu is in her own genre — and beloved by influencers for the unique range of characters that grace its designs. It’s these characters that are brought to life as collectible figurines.

Developed in tandem with Wieden + Kennedy, tms (formerly The Marketing Store) and HAVI took the lead on developing all retail and omnichannel assets, as well as the execution of the collectibles from creation to distribution strategy.

Historically, programs of this size tend to be delivered by siloed teams focused solely on their specific areas. However, we were able to leverage the collective expertise across tms (formerly The Marketing Store) and HAVI to create a more succinct process and successful outcome.

“Artist Residency allowed tms (formerly The Marketing Store) and HAVI to showcase how truly ingrained we are in the McDonald’s ecosystem. Whether it be Supply Chain planning, OPNAD resourcing or Retail Premium production, our system expertise was on full display and integral to the success of the program,” said Devin Hauser, SVP of Client Engagement, McDonald’s Americas and North America Regional Lead at tms (formerly The Marketing Store).