In the ever-evolving world of advertising, nostalgia has emerged as a powerful tool that brands leverage to connect with audiences on a deeper emotional level.
One brand that has expertly tapped into the nostalgia trend is McDonald’s. From retro-styled commercials that transport viewers back to their childhood to modernized spots that update long-standing traditions, the company has launched several campaigns that leverage the power of shared memories to resonate with its audience.
But how effective are these strategies in connecting with American gen pop consumers?
Here’s what iSpot’s Creative Assessment platform revealed on actual viewer response to some of McDonald’s most nostalgic work.
The Details:
- While nostalgia has been a common approach in McDonald’s advertising over the past several years, the brand has approached the emotional connection in a variety of ways, with ads employing characters, music, and messaging—and at times simply leaning into the brand’s tenure—as a source of nostalgia. We examined a sampling of each of these approaches, with creatives often employing more than one tactic:
- Although characters were often at least one source of nostalgia for viewers in McDonald’s ads, these connections were not always to specific McDonald’s iconic characters, as some spots saw the actors themselves bringing back memories by the activities they were involved in—such as celebrating birthdays and other events.
- The brand has carefully invited younger viewers to engage in McDonald’s nostalgia by introducing new products that bring a participation aspect (such as the Grimace’s Birthday Shake or collectible cups) or by advancing the celebrations of old into the present through the use of music, gaming, and the like.
- At other times, nostalgic music was employed to immediately grab Attention and engage with a vibrant, happy tone associated with the feeling of going to McDonald’s.
- The “One in Eight” :30 presented the statistic of the number of Americans having worked at a McDonald’s, which while making a statement about the brand’s omnipresence, longevity and impact beyond food, did not spark nostalgia.
- Although characters were often at least one source of nostalgia for viewers in McDonald’s ads, these connections were not always to specific McDonald’s iconic characters, as some spots saw the actors themselves bringing back memories by the activities they were involved in—such as celebrating birthdays and other events.
- The relative success of each of the ads (vs. QSR one-year norms) reviewed relied on the breakthrough ability (grabbing Attention in a Likeable way) and relatability of the creative, with providing Information to viewers also common in the better performing ads:
- Key to driving consumer intent was an ad’s ability to still focus on at least one product/offering, with the :15 “Remember” that offered the nostalgic McDonald’s collectibles in the new form of collectible cups leading to the highest Top 2 Box intent, at 75%.
- The :30 “Grimace’s Birthday Pics” and the :30 “The Great Cup Odyssey” which also linked nostalgia to a new offering were more successful in driving intent than ads simply linking McDonald’s to good memories, good times, or even good opportunities (the latter in the case of “One in Eight”). These ads did not exceed the average category spot in driving intent, however.
- The outlier in this regard was the :15 “Have It,” which recalled the habit of a ‘weekly’ debrief at McDonald’s among older characters and focused solely on the Sausage McMuffin. While nostalgic, the spot struggled in comparison, with classical rather than lively music used as a soundtrack.
- Key to driving consumer intent was an ad’s ability to still focus on at least one product/offering, with the :15 “Remember” that offered the nostalgic McDonald’s collectibles in the new form of collectible cups leading to the highest Top 2 Box intent, at 75%.
- The brand’s strategy of employing products or collectible promotions to engage younger viewers in McDonald’s nostalgia worked well, with those ads seeing the strongest positive response among viewers 16-20:
- Again, “Have It” was the exception.
- While some creatives did not drive purchase/visit intent as strongly as others, they were still effectively connective and reminded the audience of the brand—such as the :30 “Fancy a McDonald’s Day Out:”
- “Fancy a McDonald’s Day Out” brought forth a higher level of positive sentiment but the offer of the character cups in “The Great Cup Odyssey” dominated that ad, which viewers found creative and visually engaging as well as nostalgic. The collectibles were specifically mentioned in just over half of all positive sentiment on the spot.
- “Grimace’s Birthday Pics” sparked the highest level of nostalgia of the ads reviewed with a near perfect score of 9.8 on this emotion, while also feeling fun and engaging helped by the 1997 “Feel So Good” audio track by Mase:
- Viewer comments reflect the sense that the ad stood out from the typical McDonald’s ad and delivered on viewer interest in brand history while also offering something new to get excited about.
- Some found the Grimace character a bit odd/creepy but many others were very happy to see the brand bringing old characters back (the spot featured several other classics). Both the characters and the “birthday party at McDonald’s” occasion were sources of nostalgia.
- Viewer comments reflect the sense that the ad stood out from the typical McDonald’s ad and delivered on viewer interest in brand history while also offering something new to get excited about.
Sample comments on “Grimace’s Birthday Pics” :30
“I like how they showed old footage of McDonald’s commercials and showcased an old beloved character that’s been with the franchise for a long time to feature one of their new deals. It was very nostalgic.”
Female 16-20
“This ad is about a new offer, which is a special birthday drink. It creates more excitement for people, especially in the younger ones.”
Female 21-35
“I loved it. It’s been a long time since the original McDonald’s characters have been on TV. I often wonder why McDonald’s never made a movie, or better yet, a series like a cartoon for the kids.”
Male 36-49
“I love that they brought back an old mascot, Grimace is what had made me love McDonald’s as a kid. I loved the old cartoon and hope they bring back more for those with nostalgia.”
Female 21-35
“I really liked how unique this ad is compared to what McDonald’s ads are usually like. I liked that they brought back their old characters as they have disappeared for a while.”
Male 16-20
“It brought about feelings of nostalgia, especially with the old characters and the set of the commercials showing the progression of the interior of McDonald’s.”
Male 21-35
“I enjoyed the flashback of the old school McDonald’s characters, haven’t see them in a long time. I want to try the new shake and learn more about the meal.”
Female 21-35
“I love the pictures and 90s feel of the ad, the pictures were visually pleasing and I love it overall! Very nostalgic.”
Female 16-20
“I like the music choice in the ad. It caught my attention and I enjoyed the ad. And I would like to try the new milkshake.”
Female 36-49
“The music immediately caught my attention and was super upbeat. The product looked really good too.”
Male 21-35
“I grew up with the McDonald’s characters and this ad makes me happy that McDonald’s hasn’t forgotten their history.”
Female 36-49
- From an early engagement standpoint, the “Remember” :15 that presented the collectible cups early with Nat King Cole’s classic of the same name as the background track, stood out while the “Fancy a McDonald’s Day Out” :30 assisted by the lively Hall & Oates “You Make My Dreams Come True,” was also an early engager:
- In contrast, verbatims on the “Have It” :15, which saw lower engagement throughout, indicate that many related to either seeing a table of elderly people inside their McDonald’s and/or socializing over a meal, but for some, the product felt a bit forced or out of place given the storyline.
Sample comments on “Have It” :15
“I love the idea of a bunch of older gentlemen gathering for breakfast and having a good time and sharing stories. It makes me happy. It makes me feel good. But since I am not an elderly male with elderly male friends, I do not see the commercial and immediately want to go out and buy the product. It just makes me feel good. It probably would have been better for it to just be a generic commercial for McDonald’s and not for the Egg McMuffin itself.”
Female 36-49
“It featured McDonald’s which was amazing, the old guys were laughing at a joke that was from a while back that they thought was still funny. It was great seeing that smile and having a great time with each other and the food looked good.”
Male 16-20
“The ad was surprising to me because what the narrator was talking about—a joke becoming funnier after already being told—had nothing to do with McDonald’s….. At all.”
Female 21-35
“It was okay. Nothing sets it apart from the millions of other ads everybody’s bombarded with everyday. it’s all been done too many times.”
Male 21-35
“I like the ad. If you go to any McDonald’s it’s common to have the older locals who hang out in the mornings. This ad captured that.”
Male 36-49
“I’m glad to see real-life scenarios of seniors gathering at McDonald’s played out in the commercial. It is endearing to see in real life and in the ad. I also like McDonald’s breakfast sandwiches so it’s nice to see the item. I wish it had eggs too.”
Female 36-49
“I loved the inclusion of old people smiling, laughing, and all eating together. It brought about a genuine sense of happiness for a young viewer. I also like breakfast sandwiches”
Female 16-20
“It’s a weird ad, in my opinion, because it has a different message and I don’t get the reason for the message mixed with the product.”
Male 21-35
“I did not hear the man’s story but their laughter and body language was contagious. I would meet up with my friends for breakfast and share life! And now I want an Egg McMuffin too!”
Female 36-49
Advertisers need to identify the creative that will drive business outcomes and ensure that in-market execution aligns against the highest potential ads.
Schedule a demo to find out how your brand can partner with iSpot to quickly solve both challenges simultaneously, delivering high-performing creative while boosting the effectiveness of planning and in-market execution to achieve—and outperform—campaign objectives.