Big Mac Fans Give Iconic Burger Its Own Autograph

Ever since McDonald’s created the Big Mac in 1967 the burger has had an economic index named after itself, a museum dedicated to its history and in Sweden people order a Big Mac every third second. Despite its celebrity status, Big Mac has been lacking something most icons have – an autograph! Therefore, McDonald’s Sweden asked Big Mac lovers to help create its first ever signature. 256,000 fans rose to the task and contributed with suggestions of what the autograph should look like. These have now been combined using AI algorithms to form the first ever autograph for the burger. NORD DDB has created the campaign.  

30,000 Big Macs are ordered in Sweden every single day and every minute around 1,900 Big Macs are sold globally. Big Mac is undeniably one of the most popular and common orders at McDonald’s worldwide. The only thing this celebrity lacks is an autograph of its own and since it cannot compose one by itself, McDonald's Sweden invited fans of the burger to create one together. 256,000 people left their contribution in the McDonald's app in exchange for a free Big Mac burger. These suggestions have now been processed into one unique autograph.  

"Our icon Big Mac doesn’t need much of an introduction. I think it’s as well-known as McDonald’s itself. It’s fun that so many fans came together to create an autograph for their favourite burger. It turned out great, and I think it will be much appreciated by Big Mac connoisseurs in Sweden and the rest of the world", says Susanne Wahlberg, brand  manager at McDonald’s Sweden.  

The creation of the autograph was facilitated by a technique called Dynamic Time Warp, which is simply described as AI algorithms which go through all the submitted signatures and then create one signature based on all the submissions. Since Big Mac cannot write, the actual signing is done by an industrial robot specially adapted with a 3D printed hand just for this purpose.  

"Normally, it is the fans who ask the star for an autograph. Because this star is a burger, we must do the opposite. It feels like a given that Big Mac finally has its own autograph  and that it is based on the fans' own handwriting", says Petter Dixelius, creative director at NORD DDB. 

A total of 256,000 contributions were made by Big Mac lovers across Sweden and the 100 most dedicated fans who contributed to the autograph will, through data from the McDonald’s app, be rewarded with exclusive Big Mac portraits signed by the industrial robot. The first signed Big Mac photo will be donated to the world's largest private autograph collection to finally make it complete. 

The campaign has been communicated through TVC, DOOH, audio, social media, and influencer collaborations.