Happiness doesn't come with a price tag, says McDonald's

Leo Burnett creates new McDonald's campaign comprising 3 TVCs with five more in the pipeline. A marketing budget of Rs 30-40 crore has been allocated



Neha Saraiya | New Delhi | January 16, 2011

After launching McFlurry in October last year, fast food chain McDonald's has continued with its positioning  of 'affordability' through its 'Happy Price Menu'. And, much like the earlier campaigns, the new TVCs of McDonald's are not only tongue-in-cheek but also simultaneously touch on the emotions of respect, love and fear.

The three new commercials titled 'Dubey ji', 'Injection' and 'Arranged marriage' have been conceptualised by Leo Burnett India, the agency on record for the brand. It has been built on the insight of innocent stories of life wherein everybody, no matter how rich or poor, young or old, can enjoy the small happy moments of life provided by McDonald's.

Speaking about the new campaign, Rameet Arora, Senior Director - Marketing, McDonald's India (West & South), said, “Happy Price Menu gives access to millions of people to a great and tasty experience. Whether it is college students or office-goers, McDonald's has become a very happy part of their lives. These TVCs encapsulate the spirit of the brand. Also, we don't see Happy Price Menu as a price offering – we see it as a brand offering.”

The plot of first TVC, 'Dubey ji', revolves around a bus driver being tricked by a bunch of kids, who harmlessly give him wrong directions. The second scene unfolds with the bus driver in front of a McDonald's outlet and the kids singing 'Happy Birthday' to him. The film ends showing the bus driver happily celebrating his birthday and treating kids with a McDonald's burger.

The second commercial, 'Injection', illustrates a role-reversal wherein a kid convinces his father to take an injection. He tempts his father be promising to treat him for a burger at McDonald's – if he agrees for the syringe.

The final TVC, 'Arranged Marriage', shows a newly married couple trying to infuse love in their arranged marriage by spending good times at McDonald's.

All the commercials were shot in Mumbai in two days. The first TVC is the longest in duration and has two edits on air – 40 seconds and 30 seconds – while the other two are of 15 seconds each.

“McDonald's Happy Price Menu is all about affordability. Even a bus driver with a bus full of children can afford it. So, the TVCs are about such stories which do not affect anybody's pockets. We try to do such authentic and true stories keeping in mind the affordability factor,” said KV Sridhar aka 'Pops', National Creative Director, Leo Burnett India.

Interestingly, the previous 'Happy Price Menu' TVC of McDonald's last February also banked on the same idea of innocent humour. It showed two small kids sitting on a bench, when the girl brings up the topic of them being a couple. To which the boy naively replies that 'girlfriends have too many demands and thus he can't fulfil them'! The girl cutely throws back saying that all she requires is a burger and hence she is different from other nagging girlfriends. And the boy immediately agrees!

The company has estimated a marketing budget of Rs 30-40 crores to be spent within the year. Apart from the on-air campaign, McDonald's is also promoting the campaign on digital, radio and outdoor medium as well. Additionally, there will be five more TVCs from the brand that will be rolled out in due course.

Credits:

Agency: Leo Burnett India

Production house: Chrome Pictures

Director: Hemant Bhandari

Producer: Swanand Marathe

Creative: Nitesh Tiwari & Spiky

Cinematographer: Laxman Utekar

Art Director: Prasun Basu & Gauri Tiwari

Music: Ketan Sodha

Neha@BestMediaInfo.com

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