MarketInk: Take a tour of McDonaldland in latest nostalgic marketing play

What’s old is new again at the McDonald’s hamburger chain.

Five decades ago, McDonald’s TV commercials showcased the whimsical world of McDonaldland where lived Ronald McDonald, Grimace, Birdie, Hamburglar, Mayor McCheese and the Fry Friends in a home filled with Apple Pie Trees and Hamburger Patches.

Now, McDonald’s latest retro marketing play features a return of McDonaldland as the fast-food chain leans into nostalgia in a bid to rekindle memories of older customers, while introducing McDonaldland’s cast of characters to a new generation of Gen Z consumers.

A new 30-second video from creative agency Weiden+Kennedy shows McDonald’s characters aboard the McDonaldland train rolling through color scenery. According to advertising industry news outlet Ad Age, ads will run on TV and streaming, as well as travel-focused placements on Google Maps, Lyft and United Airlines.  

“Over the past few years we’ve seen how fans flock to our characters, everyone from Grimace to the Hamburglar. But many, especially the new generation, don’t know that’s just the tip of the iceberg,” said Jennifer Healan, McDonald’s VP of U.S. marketing, brand, content and culture, in a statement.

“There’s an entire magical world of McDonaldland filled with characters, places and lore. And so, for the first time in decades we are taking fans on a trip to McDonaldland with an immersive experience that taps into the past to create the future. It’s a chance for us to give fans a new, modern way to experience this magical world.”

For more than 20 years, McDonaldland was featured in everything from games to movies, and the characters developed a devoted fan following. “Now the gang is back together and fans can rediscover the epic world and its characters or experience it for the first time,” said a McDonald’s statement.

Earlier this month, McDonald’s 13,500 U.S. restaurants added to the menu the McDonaldland meal, which included a choice 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. The limited-edition shake is inspired by the vibrant blue lava and pink clouds of Mt. McDonaldland, a statement said.

The meal also includes one of six collectible tins that feature on of the McDonaldland characters – Ronald McDonald, Grimace, Birdie, the Hamburglar, the Fry Kids or Mayor McCheese. The tins also contain postcards and stickers related to the characters.

The campaign is designed to appeal not only to people who remember the McDonaldland heyday but also stimulate visits to the Golden Arches by Gen Z, that highly-coveted group of young teens to late 20-somethings.

McDonaldland was created in 1971 by Neeham Harper & Steers, but was largely removed from ads by the early 2000s due to growing concerns over childhood obesity and marketing aimed at children, according to Ad Age. In 2003, McDonald’s kicked-off the longstanding “I’m lovin’ it” campaign.

Other fast-food chains have leaned into nostalgia over the past few years, noted Ad Age. Burger King has restored its 1970s-era “Whopper Whopper” jingle on various occasions and KFC has returned its iconic Colonel Harland Sanders celebrity mascot.

According to Allan Levy, chief executive officer of Alchemy Worx, a New York-based digital marketing firm, nostalgia marketing can resonate with both older customers and younger generations.

“Nostalgia transports older audiences back to moments of comfort, security, and joy, often tied to childhood memories and a sense of accomplishment from having been there,” Levy told Times of San Diego.

“For younger audiences, it creates a bridge to history, offering stability and a connection to something enduring. In both cases it is a reminder that what is old can be new again and that shared cultural touch-points can unite people across generations.”

Levy also said it can be a marketing challenge to integrate nostalgia into digital channels without feeling outdated.

“The key is subtlety,” he said. “Use familiar imagery, tones and references, but pair them with contemporary design or context. This could be combining modern photography with vintage fonts, or weaving historical references into current trends, much like how musicians remix classic songs for today’s audiences.

“Done right, nostalgia feels fresh, not dated.”

MiresBall honored with logo design awards

San Diego-based MiresBall, a creative agency and brand graphics design firm, recently won four awards for logos it designed for clients from Graphis, a New York-based industry trade publication that covers graphic design, advertising, photography and illustration. The awards included:

• 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.

• 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.

“We’re honored to partner with clients who are making meaningful contributions to the world,” said John Ball, principal and creative director at MiresBall. “This recognition is an added bonus.”

MiresBall said it was the 13th consecutive year it has won awards from Graphis.

San Diego County Credit Union wins promotional campaign awards

San Diego County Credit Union reports that it has received awards for recent promotional campaigns.

The Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals presented Hermes Creative Awards to SDCCU for its Stuff the Bus and Full Bowls campaigns.

The 11th annual Stuff the Bus campaign, held in partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education, iHeartMedia radio stations and Jersey Mike’s, collected monetary donations to purchase back-to-school supplies for students experiencing homelessness.

The second annual Full Bowls campaign collected and donated 3,507 pounds of dog and cat food to help support the efforts of Rancho Coastal Humane Society.

In addition, SDCCU was recognized with a Gold Stevie award in the Great Employers category and a Stevie Employer of the Year award in the banking category.

More than 12,000 nominations from organizations of all sizes in 70 different nations were submitted for this year’s Stevie awards. More than 130 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process.

The Stevie award is named after the Greek word “stephanos,” which translates to crown or garland, symbolizing honor, victory and distinction. The Stevie awards will be presented Sept. 16 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

Rick Griffin is a San Diego-based public relations and marketing consultant. His MarketInk column appears weekly on Mondays in Times of San Diego.