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Behind the Work in association withThe Immortal Awards
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How Simu Liu Rallied Canadians to Support McHappy Day

18/05/2023
Advertising Agency
Toronto, Canada
160
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Cossette’s Jason Hill and McDonald’s Canada’s Rebecca Smart discuss working with the actor and why this was the right creative choice to support Ronald McDonald House Charities, writes LBB’s Josh Neufeldt

On Wednesday May 10th, people from every Canadian province rallied to support McHappy Day - McDonald’s Canada’s largest charity-driven program. With the brand donating a portion of proceeds from all menu items to support Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), there was no better reason to indulge in some fast food… unless you also happen to be a fan of Simu Liu as well. 

Brought on board by creative agency Cossette, as a passionate supporter of children’s charities, the actor joined forces with McDonald’s Canada to drum up excitement for the big occasion. Featuring in a key spot as himself, Simu brought his sense of self-deprecating humour to the role, highlighting that he’s not a hero - despite playing one - and rather, it’s the people who support McHappy Day who are. 

LBB’s Josh Neufeldt sat down with Cossette ECD Jason Hill, and McDonald’s Canada marketing director, brand strategy Rebecca Smart, to learn how this fun spot came to life. 


LBB> First off, what is ‘McHappy Day’? 


Rebecca> McHappy Day is our largest charity-driven program. Since the first Ronald McDonald House opened its doors in Toronto, Ontario in 1981, McDonald’s Canada fundraising programs like McHappy Day have helped RMHC support nearly 450,000 families across the country. The ongoing success of McHappy Day is a true testament to the generosity and support of Canadians, including our franchisees, crew and employees.


LBB> What was the brief, and what made Simu Liu the perfect person to commemorate the annual arrival of McHappy Day? 


Rebecca> At its heart, the brief was all about encouraging people to be a hero and help out on McHappy Day. This naturally led us to wanting Canada’s own superhero, Simu Liu, as our star. We knew that, in addition to being a well-known Canadian actor, Simu is passionate about RMHC’s mission of supporting families with sick children, so it was a natural fit between him and the brand.

Jason> The main goal, as always, was to get as many people as possible ordering McDonald’s on McHappy Day. The more people who order, the more we can help RMHC and other local charities. Drawing more attention to a cause like McHappy Day was always going to be more impactful if we could get a celebrity involved, but it had to be the right person. Given that Simu is already a Marvel superhero, and that guests who join us on McHappy Day are heroes of a kind themselves, there was a natural fit that felt right. 

Aside from his charisma, sense of humour and ties to superhero-dom, he was already a big fan of McHappy Day and what it stands for. He was also keen to play down his celebrity status and be a little self-deprecating, which was good for us as it helped make our storytelling that much more entertaining.



LBB> Tell us more about the initial creative process. Were the ideas already in the works before Simu was on board? And if this process didn’t start until after, what immediate ideas came to mind once he said yes?


Jason> We always wanted Simu to be part of this year’s campaign, so every script we presented was written around him and what he brings to the screen. When he was confirmed, we hopped on a call with him and his team and talked through all the different story options. He really wanted to be part of the creative process! It was something Simu said, actually - about how kids, when meeting Marvel movie stars like himself, don’t always react the way you’d expect them to - that ultimately led to our final script.

Rebecca> Building on this, it wasn’t until we started working with him and his team directly that we decided to explore a slightly irreverent tone.



LBB> Tell us more about this writing process! Why was the joke about Simu waiting in line so effective? 


Jason> We must have written about 40 scripts in total. Honestly, we would have been happy making at least five of them, but in the end, this one was the clear winner. We really liked the self-deprecating humour, and knew that it would read great with Simu playing it that way on screen. 

Simu being in line with everyone else on McHappy Day sets him up as a normal, approachable person, just like the rest of us. This just fed so naturally into the overall tone we were looking for.


LBB> Who directed the spot, and what made them the perfect choice?


Jason> James Haworth directed. He was a real pleasure to work with and knew the tone we were going for, having previously shot the ‘Friends Wanted’ campaign for McDonald’s Canada a few years ago. Both client and agency loved what he captured with that work, so it just made sense to bring him on for this one, which was very similar in tone.



LBB> Given that Simu is a professional actor, did that make shooting easier, and beyond that, what was it like to work with him? 


Jason> We shot in Montreal, and it was great! Simu was nailing it from the first take, as was our supporting cast. This gave us the freedom to start experimenting with line variations and different expressions - that sort of thing. 

Simu was also very accommodating, considering all the content we needed him for. He was a true professional and really great to work with. Overall, it was just a fun day, and when I think of it, I just remember a lot of laughing from the crew at the different takes.

Rebecca> Shooting with Simu was a breeze. It was quite possibly the shortest film day ever. This was in large part due to Simu’s on-screen ability and professionalism, but we also had an incredibly talented supporting cast and director, James Haworth.



LBB> The additional cast members are also super funny! What was casting like, and how did you settle on the choices you did? 


Jason> We got really lucky with the additional cast members, as they all add something special. The casting process was as expected. Sometimes, when auditioning younger children, it can be a challenge to find someone who has everything you’re looking for. It was actually the little kid’s first commercial, and he performed brilliantly for us. With all of our cast members, we more or less knew as soon as we saw their audition that they were the ones.



LBB> What challenges have you faced during this project? How did you overcome them?


Jason> One of the biggest challenges was that we only had Simu for one eight-hour day, and we had LOTS of content we needed to capture with him. This took an incredible amount of planning and led to a pretty frenetic run-up to shoot day. But it all paid off, because the day itself went off without a hitch.

Rebecca> The planning really was monumental. Not only did we need to prepare for filming two unique scripts, we also had radio recordings, social media content and plenty more. This all took meticulous scheduling and preparation.



LBB> What lessons have you learned from this project?


Jason> Getting a celebrity like Simu involved in a charitable campaign such as McHappy Day can be the difference between just doing okay and surpassing all expectations. Being able to tap into Simu’s own fan base to spread the word about McHappy Day was hugely advantageous. Without a doubt, his participation was one of the major factors that helped make the campaign as successful as it was this year.



LBB> How have people reacted to this new campaign? 


Jason> The reception has been amazing! Lots of love has been received on social media, and McHappy Day itself was a huge success, with the McDonald’s Canada team and RMHC raising more money than they ever have before.

Rebecca> The social sentiment was overwhelmingly positive, and by working with Simu, we were able to tap into his fan base and reach new audiences, ultimately driving greater awareness and excitement about the day. We’re so incredibly proud that this year’s McHappy Day raised over $7.5 million dollars for RMHC and other local children’s charities, breaking previous fundraising records.



LBB> What made now the right time for this campaign, and how does it fit into McDonald’s Canada’s branding for 2023?


Rebecca> McHappy Day is always the most special and important day for our brand and system. From the independent franchisees and their crews, to the suppliers and corporate staff, everyone rallies together to raise funds for a cause that is near and dear to us all.
 
This was the 29th McHappy Day, and year-over-year we continue to see so much incredible support and generosity from Canadians. Last year, we set a goal to donate over $70M to RMHC by 2026. In order to reach this goal, we knew we needed to engage new audiences so we could continue to grow our fundraising efforts. With Simu appealing to both younger fans and an older demographic, it allowed us to widen our base and continue helping those who really need it.


LBB> Is there anything you’d like to add?


Jason> McHappy Day may be over, but you can still help support RMHC by donating in-store. After working on this campaign and learning about some of the different families living in Ronald McDonald Houses, I can truly say it’s a wonderful cause and fully deserving of year-round support.

Rebecca> Although McHappy Day is our biggest fundraising day, RMHC supports families 365 days a year. Every day at McDonald’s restaurants across Canada, guests can support families receiving support from RMHC by purchasing Happy Meals and RMHC Cookies, as well as through coin box and kiosk donations to programs such as Round Up for RMHC. And, of course, you can donate directly by visiting www.rmhc.ca.


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