McDonald's UAE Turns Fine Dining Bills into Full Stomachs

McDonald’s UAE launched the ‘After-Dinner Dinner’ promotion for hungry fine dining customers who were left not only with an empty wallet, but also an empty stomach after indulging themselves in high-end meals. At select McDonald’s branches in Dubai, consumers could simply present their expensive fine dining bill at the counter in exchange for a meal that would truly fulfil them, turning their unsatisfying fine dining dinners into feel-good moments.   

The idea was conceived by creative agency FP7McCann Dubai, who first noticed the customer behaviour and decided to put a fun spin on it by poaching fine-dining customers from their usual hangout spots and sent them to McDonald’s. Geo-targeted notifications alerted the consumers to the truly satisfying meal around the corner, under the Golden Arches. 

McDonald’s has always been the go-to destination for post-event fulfilment, be it after parties, movies, concerts, school, or work. Fancy dinners were typically left out of that mix, until now: the fast food chain made this unofficial positioning official with the launch of the ‘After-Dinner Dinner’ promotion. 

Chief creative officer at FP7McCann, Federico Fanti, says of the idea, “I’ve always gone to McDonald’s after some kind of event or outing because I’m guaranteed good food and a good time. So, when the team noticed that we all do the same thing, we knew that there was an insightful idea here. The fact that it’s the fine dining bill that unlocked the promotion made it witty and fun to engage with.”