2020 Winner
McDonald's Restaurants of Canada
Friends Wanted
Cossette
GoldAToMiC Shift
SilverAToMiC Idea
Big Macs don’t flip themselves. In fact, those McDonald’s burgers are most likely made by a young adult. That’s because 74% of McDonald’s staff in Canada is under 24, meaning the business depends on constantly attracting thousands of young workers to keep customers McHappy.
The problem is that with low youth unemployment in Canada and a somewhat negative perception of working at McD’s, many young people take a pass on working the drive-thru window, lest their friends judge them for working there. But friends can’t judge when they’re along for the ride, so the burger brand devised “Friends Wanted,” a recruitment campaign that changed the way McDonald’s recruited by encouraging friends to apply together, interview together and work together.
The campaign by Cossette included an online video series about all the ways two friends have each other’s backs while working together at a McDonald’s. Videos were distributed on social channels, as well as targeted ones like Twitch Connected TV, where they had a 91% average view-through rate. The campaign also included posters, in-restaurant videos and tray liners that featured two job applications, but flipped so that friends seated across from each other got the message. McDonald’s also changed their online application process to include a “recommend a friend” field and franchisees have begun to interview friends together.
Bringing the buddy system to McDonald’s workplace worked. The first month of the campaign generated over 75,000 new applications, 7.5% more than the previous year and consideration of working at McDonald’s increased 42%.
Credits
Title: Friends Wanted
Agency: Cossette
Global CCO(s): Peter Ignazi, Carlos Moreno
Group Creative Director: Jon Frier
Associate Creative Director/AD: Spencer Dingle
Associate Creative Director/CW: Jordan Hamer
Art Director: Tyler Robitaille
Copywriter: Ellen Porteous
Senior Designer: Eric Wood
Agency Producer: Erica Metcalfe
Strategist: Jeff McCrory
Account Executive: Vallerie Traitses
VP, Client Lead: Sarah Jue
SVP, Managing Director: Kathy McGuire
Senior Digital Project Manager: Jeff Maynard
Production Manager: Dawn-Marie Mills
Studio Director: Raquel Mullen
Senior Retoucher: Trevor Gauthier
Production Artist: Barry Kent
Senior Director, Communications: Stacey Masson
External Communications Manager: Kali Pearson
Production House: Circle Productions
Director: James Haworth
Director of Photography: Stuart Campbell
Line Producer: Amanda Field
Executive Producer: Karen Tameanko
Development Executive: Laurence Payne
Editing House: Saints Editorial
Editor: Melanie Hider
Food Stylist: Noah Witenoff
Colour/Transfer Facility: The Vanity
Colourist: Andrew Exworth
Online Facility: The Vanity
Executive Producer: Stephanie Pennington
VFX Artist: Kaelem Cahill
Casting: Mann Casting
Casting Director: Steven Mann
Audio House: Berkeley Inc.
Audio Engineer: Jared Kuemper
Photography: Rodeo Production
Photographer: Raina & Wilson
Media Company: OMD Canada
Managing Director: Jammie Ogle
Associate Director of Strategy: Laurie St. John
Senior Strategist: Leah Burke
Senior Digital Specialist: Kate Debar
Search & Social Specialist: Deven Creagh
Client: McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Limited
Chief Marketing Officer: Antoinette Benoit
Marketing Officer: Hope Bagozzi
Senior Marketing Manager: Melanie Courtois
Chief People Officer: Stephanie Hardman External Communications Manager, Corporate Relations: Laura Munzar