McDonald’s Celebrates Christmas Success on Snapchat

McDonald’s Partners with Snapchat for Its UK Christmas Campaign

Historically synonymous with fast food rather than festivities, McDonald’s wanted to reframe its perception ahead of the Christmas period. A regular Snap partner, the iconic brand wanted to leverage the platform to communicate its connection to shared experiences and gift giving.

After reorienting brand direction throughout the year from food consumption to family experiences, the global chain was eager to establish a reputation as the brand most associated with Christmas among UK users aged 18+, by driving the ‘Reindeer Ready’ brand tagline across Snapchat and TV adverts.

Using Snap AR Lens to Drive Awareness and Engagement

With a primary aim of driving awareness and engagement across Snapchat, McDonald’s opted for a multi-product approach across its six-week campaign. The combination of First Lens and First Commercials facilitated maximum reach and awareness while Snap Ads and Story Ads provided cost-efficient methods for pushing the message. Finally, the AR Lens brought the overarching narrative to life by prompting users to harness their own photos to produce an experience that could be shared with friends and family. McDonald’s also tapped into the overlap that exists between Snapchatters and its own audience and chose to use broad targeting to deliver its message.

Successful Results Using the Snap AR Lens

The multi-product approach was a clear success for McDonalds, in particular leveraging reservation formats to launch. The First Commercial alone generated +7 points for Ad Awareness, +8 points for Message Awareness, +7 points for Brand Association and +9 points for Brand Love. Furthermore, the AR Lens, which was created specifically for the campaign and a welcome addition to the brand’s portfolio, generated lift across all metrics, including Brand Love at a +6 point shift.

The global chain was pleased to come in above benchmark during such a competitive time of year, specifically regarding the positive perspective with which the brand is viewed by the public. Shifting the dial meaningfully on these metrics during the most highly saturated time of year was a real win for the McDonald’s team.