McDonald’s Canada Marks 30 Years of McFlurry with Handcrafted Tribute to East Coast Origins

30 years ago, in a small McDonald’s restaurant in Bathurst, New Brunswick, owner/operator Ron McLellan created a dessert that would take the world by storm: the McFlurry®. To honour its milestone anniversary, McDonald’s Canada has launched ‘An East Coast Original’, a campaign that turns advertising into a canvas for the inventive and artistic nature of Atlantic Canada.

Developed in partnership with Cossette, the campaign features original artwork from seven East Coast artists, each working in distinctive, hands-on mediums rarely seen in today’s digital world—from rug hooking and quilting to stained glass, driftwood sculpture, and cyanography. Each piece is inspired by the McFlurry and infused with the textures, symbols and stories of the Atlantic region.

The artworks are featured across Atlantic Canada in out-of-home, online video, and social platforms, but never as ordinary ads. Each one is displayed like a curated piece in a regional gallery. This deliberate treatment emphasised not just the beauty of the pieces, but the craftsmanship and cultural resonance behind them.

“This campaign is a love letter to East Coast ingenuity,” said Melissa Hains, director, field marketing at McDonald’s Canada. “Every element is handcrafted by local artists, inspired by the same spirit of originality that gave birth to the McFlurry 30 years ago. It’s our way of honouring the place and the people, where innovation meets tradition, and creativity is part of the culture.”

Among the standout creations: a rug-hooked scene of the iconic Hopewell Rocks, woven with dyed wool in soft creams and sea blues to echo the swirls of a McFlurry; a delicate stained-glass panel that refracts light like soft serve glinting under a summer sun; and a cyanograph print of native East Coast flora, bright blooms and curling leaves that nod to the natural beauty surrounding the region’s McDonald’s restaurants.

By tapping into unconventional mediums like quilting, cyanography, and glasswork, the campaign reflects the East Coast’s deep-rooted maker culture and proves that even everyday experiences can inspire slow, considered art. Together, the works form a gallery, each one as unique, layered, and homegrown as the McFlurry itself.

“I love how East Coast originality is embedded throughout this campaign,” said Jason Hill, executive creative director at Cossette. All pieces are original. Analogue. Hand-made. It’s refreshing to see this kind of authentic craft in a campaign, and in this case, one that is truly reflective of the crafts associated with that region. It’s not surprising that with this kind of creativity on tap, an East Coaster created the world’s first McFlurry.“

With ‘An East Coast Original’, McDonald’s Canada is celebrating over 30 years of a beloved dessert and the proud legacy behind it. Celebrate all summer long with friends and family by enjoying classic and limited-time flavours like the Birthday Cake McFlurry. Made with 100% Canadian dairy, it's a delicious way to honour a true Canadian classic.