Background
Recruiting in the fast food industry is getting increasingly difficult.
How do you attract Gen Zs to join the workforce? As consumers
they want to buy into the brand rather than just buy the products,
and it’s similar when they seek work: give them something
meaningful and they may be interested.
One way to do it, is combine an area they’re interested in with
upcoming talent they can relate to, and do it all with real purpose.
And then create something you only get by applying for a job.
Insight & Idea
To make Gen Z want to work at McDonald’s, the brand has to do something that is desirable and meaningful for them. You have to make them want it.
Redefine workwear for the next generation. Do it with an upcoming local designer, who happens to dig the McDonald’s brand. Upcycle old work uniforms into a new line of never-before-seen McDonald’s work clothes. Make the street fashion collection only available to employees – want the drop, get the job. Tell the whole world about it.
Creative solution
For this brand collabo we went against the
stream: instead of riding on the wave of
someone who’s already big, the McDonald’s
brand was used to give a rising talent a boost.
The McDrip collection was created together
with Jimi VAIN, a self-taught fashion
designer making waves at the grassroots of
the Finnish fashion scene.
McDrip is an upcycled street fashion
collection made almost entirely out of
worn-out McDonald’s work uniforms. The
collection consists of 13 outfits that use
100% recycled materials.
It’s designed exclusively for McDonald’s
employees, so to be a part of this fashion
phenomenon, you had to work at McDonald’s
or put in an application and hope you got the
job. “Want the drop? Get the job!”, as the
connected recruitment campaign stated.
Objectives &Executions
The campaign was built around the McDrip collection and a fashion show launch event in McDonald’s Kamppi. We invited Finland’s hottest fashion and lifestyle influencers to join the event, and they showed up in great numbers.
The show was streamed on TikTok and hype was built online, using McDonald’s and VAIN fashion label social media channels.
McDrip was also advertised guerilla style with posters distributed around the streets of Helsinki.
The primary objective of the campaign was to improve McDonald’s brand image in the eyes of young adults. The goal was to attract new potential employees and receive more new job applications. International earned media was also aimed to build momentum for McDonald’s around the world.
In the media
In social media
Fashion week and hundreds of street fashion pages around the world posted about the collection on Instagram and Twitter.
Campaign videos on TikTok and user made content generated tens of millions of views.
McDrip started trending so hard on Instagram that it even took over the top post page of #mcdonalds.
Also the comment sections were flooded with people expressing their eagerness to work at McDonald’s to get these clothes.
Results
64000000
Potential reach
801
Earned media mentions
9000000€
Worth of earned media
+63%
Job applications*
*Solotes – McD HR system, All Ears
Results in the 15-24 target groupAfter campaign
+41%
Employer image
+69%
Brand responsibility image
+40%
Is a brand I trust
+14%
Is a brand for someone like me
Loving the brand influences the taste of the actual products.
Food taste attribute grew by 5-10% and food quality grew by 45%
(Results accorrding to the Holistic Tracker 2022 (TNS)
15000€
Media budget
42250€
Talent, Clothes and Production
57250€
Total
Brand
