Have A Good Time With Leo Burnett And McDonald's Christmas Spot

Leo Burnett London’s Christmas campaign for McDonald’s UK focuses on the good times that can be had by excited families, weary shoppers, and those seeking a pre- or post- night out fuel stop, at its many branches up and down high streets across the country.

Its newly created 90-second festive film, entitled ‘Juliette the Doll’, aims to celebrate the role of the restaurant chain this holiday period, for millions of people on their various Christmas outings.

The campaign launches on Monday 21st November with the première of the film, which focuses on a vintage wooden doll called Juliette who comes to life after fearing being left on the shelf for another year.

Looking forlornly across the street from her toyshop, she yearns to be a part of the busy street outside and the restaurant directly across from her, where a whole host of people from all walks of life are enjoying good times as Christmas draws near. 

As the shopkeeper turns the pages on his wall calendar, from the 16th through to the 24th December, she looks longingly out of the window and seems destined to spend another Christmas all alone. 

But then, as the clock strikes 5pm on Christmas Eve, she makes an unexpected bid for freedom, jumping off the shelf, and across the busy road, into the McDonald’s restaurant opposite, where she joins in the festive frivolities and ultimately meets fellow toy ‘Meteor Mike’ and romance seems to blossom. 

The film was created with the help of 3D printing, puppeteering and computer generated effects (CGI), with all of the doll’s facial details painstakingly painted by hand.

Emily Somers, Vice President Food & Marketing - McDonald’s UK, points out that the advert kick-starts an eight week multi-channel Christmas celebration at McDonald’s which sees the brand use AV, out-of-home, digital, radio and in-store advertising as well as leveraging Blippar’s augmented reality technology on specially created tray mats. 

“I am very proud of our contribution to the competitive Christmas advertising window, and delighted to bring our biggest ever campaign to life with Juliette and her adventure. The advert kick starts an eight week multi-channel Christmas celebration which sees us use AV, out of home, digital and in-store advertising to bring the campaign to life and to deliver good times for our customers and employees this December – Christmas is well and truly here!”

Phillip Meyler and Darren Keff, from Leo Burnett’s creative team, said: “McDonald’s may not be a brand people immediately associate with Christmas, but it plays a big, perhaps unsung role. Millions of people from all walks of life pass through the doors during the festive period, rich or poor, old or young. Everyone from an old fashioned girl from a bygone era to a futuristic fella from another planet... ”