McDonald's tugs at the heart strings with latest spot "DAD"

May. 12, 2017

A young boy hopes to find a connection with the father he never knew in a moving new TV commercial by Leo Burnett London for McDonald’s UK.

In the advert, the boy asks his mum about his absent dad. But as his mum reminisces, the boy begins to wonder whether he and his father had anything in common…until he finds what he is looking for in an unexpected situation.

Aimed at 20 to 44 year-olds, the commercial aims to generate affinity with the brand by reminding the audience what they love about McDonald’s.

Peter Heyes, Creative Director at Leo Burnett said:

In serving over 3 million people daily, a lot of human stories pass through McDonald’s doors every day. As we all know, life isn’t perfect, and life can be challenging. Hopefully this heartfelt story reflects that with the poignancy it deserves.

 

Emily Somers, VP Marketing at McDonald’s said:

Dad’ marks a return to the emotional, affinity-driving TV ads that have been the bedrock of our marketing for a decade. We wanted to drive an emotional connection with our audience, and remind them of all the reasons why they come to us - from our core products, to the unique role that we play in their lives. The ad carries a message of familiarity, however also touches upon the long-standing nature of the relationship that we have with many of our customers – we’ve been there with them, a familiar and consistent beacon over the years.

 

OMD UK is planning and buying the media for the campaign, which launches in TV, cinema and VOD on Friday May 12 and will run nationally for seven weeks.