Planning 

McDonald’s ‘Best Burger’ was a globally led initiative featuring small improvements to its famous burger recipe, ingredients and kitchen procedures that create a big difference you can taste.   

In 2024, McDonald’s UK began rolling out their ‘Best Burgers’ across its restaurants and our brief was to create a mic drop moment to communicate these changes and celebrate this historic moment.  

Our specific objectives were  

Fame & Education: Land editorial and social coverage to raise awareness of the changes and encourage the British public to taste the improvements themselves. 

Reassure & Inspire Burger Fans: Prove that McDonald’s beef burgers are now tastier - to retain existing beef burger fans and attract new / lapsed customers. 

Celebrate The Mcdonald’s Community: Thank internal audiences (suppliers, crew members) for delivering such a significant logistical change 

Strategy

To articulate the new ‘Best Burger’ improvements we needed to:  

Land the ‘Mmm’ - establish the delicious new taste  

Make the ‘Mmm’ - reveal the food quality and kitchen changes behind the taste  

Experience the ‘Mmm’ - drive engagement via sales and app sign-ups  

But how would we make the public sit up and take notice of what were essentially small technical changes in the kitchen?  

After thoroughly researching the latest trends in experiential, we observed that immersive food experiences are on the rise and multi-sensory experiences significantly enhance brand perception. Using these insights, we landed on our creative concept - The McDonald’s Best Burger Sensoriummm - an immersive experience designed to leave a lasting impression on burger enthusiasts.    

An integrated approach was essential, to amplify the reach and maximise this historic moment for McDonald’s. A 360 integrated strategy was devised which included PR, social and influencer marketing to create a buzz and groundswell of noise around the experience, highlighting the enhancements to the 'Best Burger'.  

By dramatising the minor technical changes in such a creative, tangible and entertaining way, we set out to create an experience that would excite attendees and leave them eager to try the updated burger for themselves.   

Execution

We designed and delivered McDonald’s first 360° immersive experience at Outernet, in Central London. For 2 days, VIP guests and members of the public were invited to celebrate and learn more about the nationwide rollout of McDonald’s enhanced core beef burger range.  

Nothing says McDonald’s more than the golden arches. We showcased this iconic, universally recognised design with a grand, M-shaped structure that dominated the space, complemented by colossal OOH advertisements on the venue's exterior screens. These eye-catching displays captivated passers-by, irresistibly drawing them into the experience and the world of McDonald’s Best Burger.  

Visual Spectacle 

As guests stepped off the bustling streets and into the activation, they were engulfed by giant 8k screens - from sizzling patties to melting cheese, the visuals were spectacular, unmissable, and mouth-watering. Freshly cut lettuce fell from the ceiling alongside 3D modelled burgers the size of small cars and a cinema-style audio system further brought the sensory experience to life.   

Physical Immersion and Discovery 

Moving through the space, burger aficionados were able to step beyond the screen in a multisensory exploration breaking down the 4 key ingredients which make up the McDonalds burger using taste, texture, and aroma in each zone to celebrate each individual change to McDonald’s burgers...   

Softer, Toastier Buns: Guests experienced the softer and toastier texture of the new McDonald’s buns, immersing themselves in the scented and 'squishable’ bun installation, capturing playful content for socials.    

Hotter Patties: The grill tunnel gave guests the opportunity to experience how the new, hotter patties are seared. The temperature and ‘smoke’ from the grill rose, the sound of the patties sizzling played, and infrared lights reacted as guests moved through the space.    

Meltier Cheese: Turning the corner, guests were further engulfed in the space by giant droplets of ‘melting cheese’ cascading from above them. The imaginative installation showcased how the cheese now melts over the side of the extra hot patties, improving the texture and taste.    

Crunchier lettuce: Finally, guests made their way through a giant lettuce maze, made with crunch textured materials, where bespoke ASMR lettuce-crunching sounds and water droplets, further reflected the fresh-out-of-the-fridge, satisfying snap of McDonald’s lettuce.    

We facilitated learning through play, as we demystified the new changes to McDonald’s burgers. Fun facts, trivia, and surprises awaited at every turn. 

To top it off, attendees were encouraged to share their experience and were treated to taste the 'Best Burger', given 2500 MyMcDonald’s rewards points via the McDonald’s app to redeem and try a revamped beef burger for themselves.    

Launching the Sensoriummm  

We hosted a star-studded launch party with over 400 McDonald’s staff and 50 talent and influencers including high profile celebrities Rylan, Peter Crouch and Abbey Clancey, and food critics such as Grace Dent and Jay Rayner.   

In a first-of-its-kind approach, rewards customers were also invited to a VIP preview session to witness the experience ahead of the general public - tapping into the existing ‘beef fan’ audiences.  

The launch party delivered a massive spike in editorial and social media buzz, raising awareness of the burger changes and driving footfall to the event.   

Results

The Sensoriummm wasn’t just an event, it was a magical step INTO a McDonald’s burger featuring a celebration of taste and a symphony of the senses.  

In addition to positively impacting sales, with a 21% sales boost on day one (5% above projection), all other objectives were smashed... 

Objective: Fame & Education 

…DOMINATED EARNED & SOCIAL MEDIA 

• Almost 400 crew members, rewards members, and staff experienced the event 

• Follow up internal content reached 60,000+ crew