McDonald’s UAE has re-imagined the print ads of its yesteryears giving a new age twist to the retro look of 1955, when it had first announced its burgers and the product range. As a special promotion, McDonald’s has introduced a Limited Time Offer of the range in GCC markets, and has supported the initiative with a high decibel marketing push that not only aims to create awareness around the offer but also increase McDonald’s equity as an iconic brand.
The campaign #ThrowBack was launched on May 14, 2015 with agency partners FP7/DXB and UM Dubai. #ThrowBack invites tweets with memories, photos, songs or anything that reminds of the past. It also involves posting and tweeting on McDonald’s social media platforms, while engaging other global players such as Coca Cola, Ford, Sony Middle East, and Rainbow Milk to retweet the ads including the brand’s most popular product.
“The 1955 burger is inspired from the original taste, bringing back the authentic taste of McDonald’s through best taste ingredients,” explained Walid Fakih, General Manager of McDonald’s UAE, adding, “There are few brands that had started out in the 50’s and we wanted to celebrate our heritage with this campaign. What stands out the most in this campaign is the fact that brands such as Sony, Ford, Coca-Cola jumped the wagon to be part of the campaign and speak the language we are speaking on social media.”
McDonald’s will continue the campaign for six weeks supporting the digital presence with print and outdoor media. While the 1955 burger and product range has limited availability, #ThrowBack has made an impact on the MENA region. The PR agency involved in the activity is Weber Shandwick.
The campaign was treated differently for the various media. “We did this by bringing back 1955 to life in a retro pop modern matter, with a twist that can work on social media using a global trending hashtag of #throwback,” reflected Mr Fakih.
