McDonald’s Reimagines Future of Loyalty with AI

McDonald’s debuts Magic Stories, an AI-powered storytelling experience within the Family interface of the McDonald’s app in the Netherlands. Magic Stories transforms each visit – whether dine-in or delivery – into a personalised, animated story starring the family themselves. Over time, these stories become magical memory lanes that families can revisit again and again.

In today’s hyper-competitive landscape, consumer loyalty is harder to earn, as rising expectations have reshaped how people engage with brands. By merging the enchantment of storytelling with generative technology, McDonald’s aims to deepen its connection with families.

“McDonald’s has always been part of family moments – it’s in our DNA. No family is the same, and with Magic Stories, we can build a more personal connection with each of them in a novel way by using AI and by making them the main characters,” said Malou Buné, marketing manager digital at McDonald’s Netherlands.

“The insight behind it all was that there’s always a story behind each McDonald’s visit - whether it’s celebrating after a soccer game, getting together for a birthday, or just picking up takeout for a cosy night in. Everyone who eats at McDonald’s carries these stories, and that becomes your personal mythology with the brand. We wanted to bring that to life. The idea was to build a personal, ever-evolving customer story - where each visit or interaction unlocks a new chapter in your family's epic. Literally making brand storytelling personal for the first time ever,” said Mikko Pietilä, regional CCXO of NEXT at TBWA.

“Magic Stories is a testament to the power of collaboration within the TBWA collective. This project brought together creatives from across the globe, led by TBWA\NEBOKO in Amsterdam and TBWA\Helsinki's NEXT unit, which focuses on brand experiences and innovation.”

A Story Built Around Your Family’s McDonald’s Experience – Enhanced with Virtual Collectibles

The app uses AI to craft stories that feel uniquely personal and magical. By blending user interaction with advanced algorithms and generative visuals, Magic Stories transforms the everyday into something extraordinary - giving families a fresh, playful way to connect.

The experience is embedded within the McDonald’s app. Each time a family visits McDonald’s or uses Family Mode, they unlock a new 'magic item' - a virtual collectible that adds narrative twists to their story. Based on the family’s engagement in the app and optional prompts, a unique story is generated, centred on the family’s daily adventures.

A Collaborative Effort Across Agency and Client Borders

The technical execution was led by TBWA’s innovation practice NEXT, through its Helsinki unit. The AI architecture behind Magic Stories was designed to reshape how brands tell stories. By combining large language models with custom-trained image generators, the platform creates magical, personalised stories whenever families enjoy McDonald’s.
“We had many technical elements running side by side - and on top of each other - so it was essential to ensure that every puzzle piece fit together perfectly,” said Umberto Onza, design director, genAI at TBWA\Helsinki.

Because the project goes far beyond a typical brand experience, it was vital to build a robust foundation - spanning legal compliance, creative direction, and technical implementation - to ensure the system runs autonomously and delivers reliable, high-quality stories every time.

“From the beginning, we knew we were building something more meaningful and enduring than a traditional campaign. That’s why it was important to bring in specialists across creative, tech, and legal from day one,” Umberto added.