McDonald's and Leo UK Bring Fans More of the World's Most-Wanted Goods

Sep. 22, 2026

Following the success of last year’s "World Menu Heist", Leo UK and McDonald’s are back with an even bigger operation, bringing nine menu items from eight countries to the UK and Ireland.

First launched by Leo UK in 2025, ‘World Menu Heist’ was built on a simple fan truth: for years, McDonald’s fans had taken to social media to share their envy that some of the brand’s most-loved menu items were not available in the UK. Leo UK turned that global food FOMO into a heist, bringing international favourites home. The platform was adapted by McDonald’s markets around the world, with over fourty markets running their own heist.

This year, Leo UK and McDonald’s used social listening to identify fans’ most-wanted menu items and turn them into the targets of a new global operation. The haul features nine products from eight countries; the biggest number of new items McDonald’s UK has launched within a single campaign. These include Germany’s Big Rösti, Canada’s Maple & Cheddar Chicken and China’s Szechuan Sauce.

The campaign is fuelled by creators acting as ‘the insiders’ and amplified by partners acting as ‘the reporters’, letting fans participate in the heist through classified intel, creator content and real-time updates. From launch, a LADbible partnership will see a former detective analyse the hero film for clues about the heist.

Inspired by classic heist films, the campaign unfolds across five stages: Plan, Execute, Plot Twist, Execute and Dispose. It follows the McDonald’s crew as they track down fans’ most-wanted products, steal them from around the world and bring them home. 

The campaign launches with the first of two 30-second hero films created by Leo UK on 22 September. The first spot follows the crew securing and transporting McDonald’s goods from around the globe before a golden McDonald’s parachute carries the haul to safety. The film is supported by 10-second spots and dedicated McDelivery creative. The second 30-second film will follow the ‘plot twist’ on 20 October.

The golden vault idea extends across OOH advertising, where the international products sit on solid-gold vaults like valuable pieces of loot. The entire in-restaurant experience is re-designed to let fans participate in the heist, with hero stunts including a golden parachute resting across the Golden Arches, as if the haul has just landed.

On 25 September, media and creators will be invited to an immersive London event set inside the secure vault where the stolen menu items are being kept. Guests will taste the menu, explore the heist world and co-create content to share across their channels.

Launching on 22 September, the eight-week campaign is extended from five weeks in 2025 and will run across TV, cinema, out-of-home advertising, social, radio, CRM, partnerships, activations and events.

Hannah Pain, Marketing and Menu Director at McDonald’s UK, said:

“Our fans are very good at telling us which McDonald’s products they want us to bring home next, so this year we listened. But every good heist has a plot twist, so watch this space. We may not be finished yet.”

 

Jason Keet and James Hodson, Creative Directors at Leo UK, said:

“McDonald’s fans gave us the targets. We just planned the heist. That is what fan-fuelled creativity means to us at Leo UK: listening to what people genuinely want and turning it into an idea everyone can enjoy. After last year’s campaign travelled around the globe, we knew the next heist had to go bigger. More loot, more accomplices and a twist halfway through. It would have been criminal not to.”

 

The campaign was created by Leo UK for McDonald’s, with Leo UK leading creative, digital and social. Media planning and buying was handled by OMD. PR, events and influencer activity were handled by Red Consultancy. Social partnerships were handled by LADbible. CRM was handled by TMW, digital activation by TMS, and POP and in-restaurant communications by Linney.