McDonald's ‘My Happy Table’ Helps Singaporean and Malaysian Families Share the Spirit of Ramadan

This Ramadan, McDonald’s Singapore has launched My Happy Table, a physical activation that uses technology and camera setup to help Singapore-based individuals 'reunite' with their family in Malaysia. Through this experience, family members will once again be able to break fast together as though they are seated at the same table.

Set up at physical McDonald’s locations in Singapore and Johor Bahru, a full-sized hybrid table was created so family members from both Singapore and Malaysia can sit down together to have their McDonald’s meal. My Happy Table will be opened for public usage from 23 April to 28 April with call for entry starting from 19 April. The setup will be done within party rooms at the McDonald’s Canberra Plaza (Singapore) and McDonald's Taman Desa Tebrau (Johor Bahru, Malaysia). 

The activation serves to help bridge the distance felt by many with the border closure between Singapore and Malaysia due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among them are Malaysians who work in Singapore to support their families back home who prior to the pandemic would either commute daily or over the weekends. While cross border travel is allowed in some circumstances, the stringent criteria and high costs due to quarantine measures have forced many to remain in Singapore.

“We empathise with the many families who have been separated by distance, across borders, since Covid-19 hit us last year. My Happy Table at McDonald’s is our way of helping to narrow that distance by facilitating mini reunions for Muslim families during this Ramadan. As a brand that celebrates family togetherness, we’re heartened to see our employees and customers reunite ‘virtually’ with their families and create happy memories during these trying times,” said Drina Chee, senior director, marketing and digital customer experience McDonald’s Singapore. 

My Happy Table was launched with a video which showcased some McDonald’s employees in Singapore who are originally from Malaysia. Highlighting the difficult decision these employees have had to take where they support their family without being able to visit them this past year, the video underscores their longing for their family especially during Ramadan. 

Jennie Morris, Publicis Communications' chief creative officer said: “McDonald’s is one of the few brands that can authentically participate in culture. My Happy Table is a wonderful example of meaningful creativity, where even just for a few hours, McDonald’s could recreate the magic of sharing a meal together - showing that our Spirit of Ramadan is definitely stronger than the border that divides us.”

In the video, the Singapore-based employees are then pleasantly surprised by the presence of their family members in Malaysia seated at the virtual table leveraging video conferencing technology. These employees and their families get to break fast together, interacting with one another over dinner as how it would have been like in the Ramadans before. 

The activation and the filming of the launch video were developed by Leo Burnett Singapore. At the time of writing, the ad has accumulated over 1 million views across FB, IG and YT, with over 6k shares, 8k positive reactions and 480 comments.