Leo Burnett and McDonald's Turn Up the Heat with McSpicy x Frank's RedHot "Make it Hot" Return

May. 07, 2025

Following the success of last year’s ‘hottest drop’, McDonald’s and Leo Burnett are turning up the heat once again with a new campaign and creative platform, ‘McDonald’s but Make it Hot’.

The platform marks the return of the fan-favourite McSpicy® x Frank’s RedHot® chicken burger and introduces a brand-new dip: Frank’s RedHot® Mayo - As we challenge fans to bring the heat to any item on the McDonald’s menu.

The campaign launches with a 30” AV spot, opening on a McSpicy billboard before it’s engulfed in flames, revealing the new, spicier line-up beneath. Set to “Danger! High Voltage” by Electric Six, the film sets a tongue-in-cheek tone for the brand’s spiciest collaboration yet.

That energy carries through into OOH, where McDonald’s hijacks its own formats with RedHot® Mayo lid takeovers of classic breakfast ads, signalling that no part of the menu is safe from the spice. Flyposting brings a more raw, street-level aesthetic to the campaign, with flame-drenched visuals and stripped-back copy. The new visual identity was developed by POPDesign, Leo Burnett’s in-house design studio.

To drive participation, McDonald’s has also created an influencer-led social content series, the ‘But Make It Hot Challenge’, produced with the production company behind TopJaw, Detail Films. The series sees four creators take on a blind-dipping challenge, matching mystery menu items with the new Frank’s RedHot® Mayo. The content, including cutdowns and teasers, will run across TikTok and Instagram throughout the campaign.

Building anticipation from early media and fan engagement, Red Consultancy is now turning up the heat with an immersive PR, influencer, and press-tasting event, in partnership with Fnatic. Hosting over 300 content creators and media across gaming, music, fashion and food, the experience will allow guests the chance to experience the full ‘Make it Hot’ platform first-hand. Attendees will be among the first to try the new McSpicy® x Frank’s RedHot® and Frank’s RedHot® Mayo dip, served fresh from McDonald’s Airstream alongside favourite menu items.

The campaign momentum will continue post launch, expanding on the influencer-led content series, challenging creators to ‘Make It Hot’ in their own way. Further plans are in place for McFleet to pop up at key moments, keeping the heat alive and bringing the experience directly to consumers.

Inside restaurants, the heat continues with updated tray liners, kiosk screens and motion boards, inviting customers to customise their order with the new spicy dip.

The campaign will be live across TV, VOD, YouTube, OOH, social, radio and in-restaurant formats from 7 May. The McSpicy® x Frank’s RedHot® burger will be available until 26 June, with Frank’s RedHot® Mayo available until 21st October.

Ben Hooper, Creative Director at Leo Burnett UK, said:

"With the return of the McSpicy® x Frank’s RedHot® and the release of the spicy mayo dip, you can now make everything at McDonald’s hot… So that's what we did: setting fire to our billboards, spicy takeovers of our own breakfast ads and a nationwide challenge to make anything on the menu deliciously spicy. Except perhaps a McFlurry..."

 

Matthew Reischauer, Marketing Director at McDonald’s UK & Ireland, added: 

"Last year’s launch of the McSpicy® x Frank’s RedHot® chicken burger showed us how much demand there is for bold, spicy flavours on our menu. The collab brought the heat in a big way – and fans told us they wanted more. So this year we brought the burger back…and added a new Frank’s RedHot® Mayo dip.  We’re letting fans have the freedom to fire up anything on the menu, letting people personalise their favourites with a bold flavour from Frank’s that they know and love. (pro tip: try it with a McMuffin)."