McDonald's marks 20-year milestone, stokes memories with 'Nothing has changed' script

McDonald’s is celebrating its 20th year in India with a new TVC conceptualised by Leo Burnett.

 

The film opens with a young woman and man seated at adjacent tables in a McDonald's restaurant. The lad opens his Happy Meal excitedly to find his toy, but she can't find hers. He finds it under the table and hands it to her, sparking a friendship. They meet from there on at McDonald's. The situations change. They become older. They meet friends, they have a fight, and they sort wedding cards indicating that the friendship has blossomed into romance. It's their kid's turn to be delighted at McDonald's. When the couple witness their young son helping a girl his age find her toy under the table, it brings back memories.  The delighted girl hugs their son, and the lady does the same to her husband. The brand's message is: 'A lot has changed. Nothing has changed'.

 

Kedar Teny, director marketing and digital, McDonald’s, said, “We are extremely excited and proud as we celebrate the completion of our 20 years landmark in India. McDonald’s through its marketing communication has always strived to create differentiation and strike a chord with its ever-evolving consumers and their needs."

 

"The fight over the last fries, the feeling of mayo oozing out of the burger while taking a bite, the ‘softy’ moustache, taking pictures with Ronald McDonald, both, as a child and as an adult – some moments remain the same no matter what. The campaign takes this same paradoxical proposition forward, through the story of a couple, who have seen some of their most important life-changing moments at McDonald’s.”

 

He added, “Over the years, McDonald’s gave people an opportunity to bond with their family and friends and create those special moments which have lasted with them forever. We hope after seeing this ad, our customers will remember and cherish the memories built at our restaurants.”

 

RajDeepak Das, CCO, Leo Burnett, South Asia said, “It has been sheer joy partnering with an iconic brand like McDonald’s for over half its journey in the country. Our new campaign ‘A lot has changed. Nothing has changed’ articulates how the small, but important joys have remained the same, despite so much else changing. Even 20 years later, a child opening a Happy Meal box will have the same unparalleled joy on his face, like children did 20 years ago. While executing the campaign, we tried recreating the details from the past 20 years for the story to come alive – right from the staff’s uniforms, the events that happened around the time, the whole hog. With Ram’s (Madhvani) impeccable direction, I think this is film-making at its best.”

 

Credits

 

Client: McDonald's

Agency: Leo Burnett

CEO, South Asia: Saurabh Varma 

CCO, South Asia: RajDeepak Das 

CSO South Asia: Dheeraj Sinha 

Head of planning, Mumbai: Ajeeta Bharadwaj

Business heads: Rakesh Hinduja, Maninder Bali 

Executive creative directors: Prajato Guha Thakurta, Sachin Kamble 

Creative team: Aalap Desai, Saif Razvi, Pratik Khara, Rajivi Rao, Deepashree Mankar 

Account management: Sharon Batliwalla, Aditya Atre, Sonia Kumar, Chriselle Baptista, Astha Kumari 

Producer (Leo Burnett): Rachaita Vyas 

Production house: Equinox Films 

Film director: Ram Madhvani 

Producer (Equinox): Manoj Shroff