In 2019, we were faced with the dauting task of building on the “Reindeer Ready” campaign’s years of unbroken success. The answer was to embrace the same old carrot sticks, but to find a new and more meaningful story to tell about them…

We’re not here for the big day, we’re here for the magic along the way.

To further imbed our “Reindeer Treats” in the great British Christmas season, we first looked to define the cultural role the brand was already playing.  

Interestingly, it was clear McDonald’s didn’t actually have a role to play in the big day itself. Instead, it amplified the magic that surrounded the entire holiday. Whether on a present shopping refuel, a Drive Thru en-route to the relatives,or a last minute “Reindeer Treat” run, McDonald’s was always there fuelling the magic.

In 2019, this gave us the starting point for a new and more culturally resonant “Reindeer Ready” story. 

This story was one of a little girl and her imaginary reindeer, Archie. It brought to life how the true magic leading up to Christmas is held in the imaginations of the young, and how it’s all of our duties to keep this magic alive. 

This film shows how, despite initial reluctance, the girl’s family (and specifically her elder sister) eventually cast aside their cynicism to nurture this magic, by taking our hero to McDonald’s and making sure her “reindeer” gets the lovely, crunchy Christmas treats he deserves.

The 2019 campaign was an unprecedented success in history of “Reindeer Ready”, with its commercial impact spanning the entirety of the Christmas period. These results included:  

·       Guest count increasing over period of promotion

·       Festive menu unit growth: +14% vs 2018

·       Week ending 22/12 was 2nd highest overall sales for Food and McCafé

·       Sold an average of 37 carrot stick bags per store per week during the campaign (+48% vs rest of year and +15% vs 2018 Festive campaign)

·       Sold over 18,000 carrot stick bags in a single day on Christmas Eve

·       872,973 Reindeer Ready Live videos created by consumers (+94% vs 2018)

·       A total of 282,711 competition entries 

·       1 million physical books given away across restaurants and online