McDonald’s Proves Branding isn't Necessary for Legendary Breakfast Menu

McDonald's and Leo Burnett are launching a new instalment of its ‘Breakfast, done properly’ platform, celebrating the iconic McDonald’s morning menu. Built around the idea that a McDonald's Breakfast is so iconic it needs no explanation, the campaign strips away all logos from the ads, letting the food itself be the distinctive asset that communicates the brand.

The campaign follows concept research by Savanta’s McVue tool, which found that up to 90% of people correctly identified McDonald’s Breakfast products even when shown without branding. The insight confirmed what fans already know: McDonald’s Breakfast is instantly recognisable with no product names or logo required.

Bringing this to life, the campaign features a series of 30" and 10" films showcasing McDonald’s Breakfast in its purest, most irresistible form. Set to cinematic music, each film lingers on close-ups of the Sausage & Egg McMuffin, Hash Brown, Egg & Cheese McMuffin and Breakfast Wrap - capturing the distinctive shapes that make McDonald’s Breakfast so iconic. A voiceover explains how McDonald’s Breakfast needs no explanation without ever naming the products or the brand.

The campaign will roll out across TV, OOH, radio, paid social, press, and in-store activations, disrupting media channels with the iconicity of McDonald’s Breakfast.

Across OOH, the campaign takes a minimal yet bold approach, with large, macro images of McDonald’s Breakfast dominating large-scale placements.

Radio executions use evocative language to prompt listeners to picture the breakfast they already have stored deep in their subconscious. "Think of a breakfast muffin with sausage and egg. Yep, that’s the one," the voiceover coaxes. "Picture it now. Doesn't it look delicious?" Listeners will be invited to visualise breakfast before stopping short of saying its name or the name of the brand. Because, of course, just from that image in their mind, they already know exactly where it’s from.

Meanwhile, a disruptive social strategy will ensure McDonald’s Breakfast is front and centre on Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, with looping macro shots of its breakfast items punctuating social feeds and stories.

For those who need a morning nudge, the campaign will extend to in-store screens, Drive-Thru kiosks, and CRM push notifications, ensuring McDonald’s Breakfast is top of mind at the perfect moment.

Matthew Reischauer, marketing director, McDonald’s UK & IE, said, “McDonald’s Breakfast is a morning staple. This campaign is all about celebrating that built-in love, letting the food speak for itself, and reminding everyone why nothing else comes close.”

James Hodson and Jason Keet, creative directors, Leo Burnett UK, added, "There’s nothing on earth like a McDonald’s breakfast. You can spot a McMuffin from miles away. Think of a hash brown. We bet it’s a McDonald’s hash brown. So we thought our job was to just get out of the way. No logo. No product names. No catchy copy. Just the shapes and textures that we all know and love.”

“Iconic needs no explanation” launches nationwide from 24th March 2025, running for six weeks. Leo Burnett led strategy, creative, digital, and social; OMD UK managed media buying and planning; Linney supported all POP communications while TMW were responsible for CRM support.