New holiday creative work from McDonald’s Canada uses Dr Seuss’ Grinch to promote an eponymous holiday meal for adults, which the surly creature looks to ruin.
“To make the Grinch creatively come to life at McDonald’s and across our menu, we wanted to create a unique twist to the classic Grinch story that felt authentically linked to McDonald’s,” says Rebecca Smart, the QSR’s marketing director of brand strategy. “Our team had a lot of fun with this and ultimately loved the idea of the Grinch mischievously tinkering with some of our most loved menu items to create his own special meal for the holiday season, complete with mismatched socks.”
The storytelling allowed McDonald’s s to tap into this iconic holiday character, Smart adds. “The reason we chose to partner with the Grinch is because his character is loved by Canadians young and old,” she says. “It’s a classic story that is nostalgic, but is just as loved today.”
In addition to the LTO Grinch Meal, the QSR also unveiled Grinch-themed packaging for hot cups, as well as a new Frozen Hot Chocolate McFlurry and a Grinch Happy Meal.
The campaign will run nationally, with paid media support. Beyond the packaging and meal idea itself, key campaign assets include 15 and 30-second TV spots, OLV, digital, OOH across Canada, organic and paid social. McDonald’s Canada is working with paid and earned influencers nationally to tout the LTO Grinch Meal.
“Our paid influencer partners will be creating content inspired by the Grinch Meal, whether it’s a holiday dance routine, outfit or nail design,” Smart says. “Our earned influencers will be receiving a mischievous package from the Grinch himself, alongside the Grinch Meal.”
The campaign will be running in French as well. The Grinch is also a classic holiday story in Quebec, “so it was very easy to make it resonate for all Canadians with some unique French rhyming,” Smart says.
Agency partners include Wieden + Kennedy for creative, OMD for the buy, and Weber Shandwick for PR.
