by At the McDonald’s hamburger franchise, the old is new again.
The fanciful McDonaldland, where Ronald McDonald, Grimace, Birdie, Hamburglar, Mayor McCheese, and the Fry Friends resided in a house adorned with apple pie trees and hamburger patches, was featured in McDonald’s television ads fifty years ago.
In an effort to evoke nostalgia in its older patrons and introduce its cast of characters to a new generation of Gen Z consumers, McDonald’s most recent retro marketing strategy is the return of McDonaldland.
Weiden+Kennedy, a creative agency, recently released a 30-second movie featuring McDonald’s characters moving over colorful countryside on the McDonaldland train. Ads will appear on TV and streaming, as well as on Google Maps, Lyft, and United Airlines with a travel theme, according to advertising industry news source Ad Age.
Fans have flocked to our characters over the last few years, from Grimace to the Hamburglar. In a statement, Jennifer Healan, McDonald’s vice president of U.S. marketing, brand, content, and culture, said that many people, particularly the younger generation, are unaware that this is only the beginning.
McDonaldland is a whole fascinating universe full of people, places, and legends. As a result, we are bringing fans to McDonaldland for the first time in decades with an immersive experience that draws inspiration from the past to shape the future. We have the opportunity to offer viewers a fresh, contemporary perspective on this enchanted realm.
McDonaldland appeared in video games and motion pictures for almost 20 years, and the characters gained a loyal fan base. According to a McDonald’s statement, now that the gang is back together, fans can either experience the epic universe and its characters for the first time or rediscover them.
The McDonaldland meal, which consists of a Quarter Pounder with cheese or a ten-piece chicken nugget, fries, and the new Mt. McDonaldland Shake—a blueberry-flavored shake topped with pink whipped cream—was added to the menu at 13,500 McDonald’s outlets in the United States earlier this month. According to a statement, the limited-edition shake was inspired by the vivid pink sky and blue lava of Mount McDonaldland.
One of six collector tins featuring one of the McDonaldland characters—Rossard McDonald, Grimace, Birdie, the Hamburglar, the Fry Kids, or Mayor McCheese—is also included with the meal. Character-related stickers and postcards are also included in the tins.
In addition to appealing to those who recall McDonaldland’s glory days, the campaign aims to encourage Gen Z, that desired demographic of young teens to late 20s, to visit the Golden Arches.
According to Ad Age, McDonaldland was first used in advertisements in 1971 by Neeham Harper & Steers, but by the early 2000s, it had mostly disappeared because of growing worries about childhood obesity and child-targeted marketing. McDonald’s launched the enduring “I’m Loving It” campaign in 2003.
According to Ad Age, other fast-food restaurants have been capitalizing on nostalgia in recent years. KFC has brought back its famous Colonel Harland Sanders celebrity mascot, and Burger King has occasionally played its Whopper Whopper jingle from the 1970s.
Nostalgia marketing may appeal to both younger and older consumers, according to Allan Levy, CEO of Alchemy Worx, a digital marketing company with headquarters in New York.
Older audiences are taken back to times of comfort, safety, and happiness through nostalgia, which is frequently connected to early recollections and a feeling of achievement from having been there, Levy told the Times of San Diego.
It builds a bridge to history for younger viewers, providing security and a link to something timeless. In both situations, it serves as a reminder that timeless elements may be reimagined and that common cultural experiences can bring people together from different generations.
Levy added that incorporating nostalgia into digital platforms without coming across as obsolete might be a marketing problem.
“Subtlety is the key,” he remarked. Make use of well-known references, pictures, and tones, but combine them with modern context or design. Similar to how musicians rework classic tunes for modern listeners, this could be fusing contemporary photographs with vintage typography or incorporating historical allusions into contemporary trends.
When nostalgia is done well, it feels current rather than stale.
MiresBall honored with logo design awards
Based in San DiegoNew York-based Graphis, an industry trade journal covering graphic design, advertising, photography, and illustration, recently presented MiresBall, a creative agency and brand graphics design studio, with four prizes for logos it created for customers. Among the honors were:
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Gold award for Shakira Pastry. The logo for this Middle Eastern bakery was inspired by the delicate art of rolling paper-thin layers of phyllo dough, reflecting the craft behind its signature baklava.
- Silver award for San Diego-Tijuana International Jazz Festival. The logo for this bi-national celebration of live music featured vertical lines as a graphic motif suggesting curtains parting to reveal a shared stage.
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Silver award for SunCoast Market Co-op. The logo for this beach grocery story was inspired by a 1970s surf culture.
- Honorable mention award for San Diego Housing Fund. The logo featured four houses double as arrows, each pointing into the next, to represent collaboration among key stakeholders working to solve the region s housing crisis.
John Ball, the president and creative director of MiresBall, stated, “We are honored to collaborate with clients who are making significant contributions to the world.” This acknowledgement is an extra benefit.
MiresBall reported that it had received Graphis honors for the thirteenth year in a row.
San Diego County Credit Union wins promotional campaign awards
According to San Diego County Credit Union, its recent marketing strategies have earned it accolades.
SDCCU received Hermes Creative Awards from the Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals for its Full Bowls and Stuff the Bus campaigns.
In collaboration with the San Diego County Office of Education, iHeartMedia radio stations, and Jersey Mike’s, the 11th annual Stuff the Bus campaign raised money to provide school supplies for homeless students.
3,507 pounds of dog and cat food were gathered and donated as part of the second annual Full Bowls campaign to aid the Rancho Coastal Humane Society’s work.
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Furthermore, SDCCU received a Stevie Employer of the Year award in the banking category and a Gold Stevie award in the Great Employers category.
This year’s Stevie awards received over 12,000 nominations from organizations of all kinds across 70 countries. The judging procedure involved over 130 specialists from throughout the world.
The Greek word stephanos, which means crown or garland and denotes honor, triumph, and distinction, is the source of the Stevie award’s name. The Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City will host the Stevie awards presentation on September 16.
Rick Griffin is a marketing and public relations professional headquartered in San Diego. Every Monday, he writes a MarketInk piece for the Times of San Diego.
