Sneak Joy

Background

Sneaking food into places where it's prohibited is just what people do. Everyone does it, but nobody talks about it. And McDonald's happens to be the top choice for sneaking in Hong Kong. In the end, it all boils down to one universal truth: eating what you love while doing what you love.

We ran a campaign to encourage this cheeky behavior by placing a series of print ads and sending geo-targeted notifications in the vicinity of cinemas, libraries, and train stations. Many people became good that we took the campaign to the next level with a promotion: a sneak heist in the sky!

Simply show your boarding pass at our airport store, receive a free Apple Pie, and sneak it onboard the plane. Then, prove it by posting on social media and get a sweet e-coupon to redeem at our stores when you return.

Results

Our campaign did more than just turn heads; the prints sparked lively conversations and set the stage for our airport Sneak Joy activation. Here’s what happened: fans playfully smuggled a free Apple pie from our McDonald’s airport store onto their flights, cleverly bypassing the no-outside-food rules. The response was incredible, boosting our social media engagement by a whopping +273%.

Sneak Joy quickly became a hot topic and delivered impressive results. The campaign generated HKD $10 million in earned media coverage, while sales at McDonald’s Hong Kong’s airport store jumped by 20% during the campaign period. These achievements underscore the impact of our campaign. Our print ads were more than just advertisements; they acted as conversation starters and effective sales drivers, proving to be a delightful twist in engaging customers and enhancing sales.