It was the campaign that got all of Australia talking and was the toast of the town at this year’s Cairns Crocodiles, winning four gold, two silver and one bronze crocodile, as well as the coveted Grand Prix. McDonald’s ‘Dare to Play’ was a national phenomenon, and here’s a deep dive into how the idea was conceived and why it proved a massive hit.
The McDonald’s ‘Dare to Play’ campaign in partnership with Netflix and brought to life by Akcelo and OMD, not only showcased the finest creativity in experiential marketing, media strategy and planning, but also how brands can tap into popular culture to deliver mouthwatering results.
Those looking to emulate its success at the 2026 Cairns Crocodiles should enter now, and read on!
It launched ahead of Squid Game season two’s release on Boxing Day 2024 and featured a Squid Game meal that brought the Dalgona Candy Challenge to life.
The ‘Dare To Play’ campaign offered fans the opportunity to engage in an interactive version of one of its most viral challenges, the Dalgona Candy Challenge, with prizes up for grabs.
The campaign includes activations across OOH, social media, fandom pages, and a Squid Game-themed Dalgona Challenge event at World Square Sydney.
The Squid Game Meal includes a QR code that grants access to the game, where players race against time to complete the Dalgona Candy Challenge. McDonald’s has replaced the umbrella candy shape with a more challenging Golden Arches ‘M’. Those who succeed will have the chance to win exclusive co-branded merchandise, with a grand prize of $100,000 for one lucky challenger.
At the time of the launch, McDonald’s Australia marketing director Amanda Nakad said: “Squid Game is Netflix’s most-watched show, and we’re thrilled to bring this cultural phenomenon to life at Macca’s. This collaboration gives our customers and fans the unique opportunity to step into the game and experience it like never before.”
Entries have opened for the 2026 Cairns Crocodiles Awards!
Tapping into the zeitgeist
In coming up with the creative concept, Akcelo viewed the return of Squid Games as “the perfect opportunity to create a brand partnership to bring Gen Z & Millennials back to playing at Macca’s that no-one saw coming”.
After researching the show’s fandom, Akcelo uncovered a unique insight into the largely Gen Z based Squid Game cohort: they had an innate desire of wanting to participate and play in the games, curious how they would fare in the challenges.
Akcelo partnered with Netflix to create an immersive cDonald’s experience by introducing a Dalgona Candy Challenge with a special Macca’s twist, replacing the show’s challenging Umbrella candy shape with an even more challenging Macca’s ‘M’.
They replaced the high stakes consequences of failure on the show with the opportunity to win co-branded merchandise and a crack at $100,000 in prize money.
The partnership was teased with co-branded stunts and activations, and then launched at scale by utilising high impact TV, online video advertising, social media and OOH. This ensured the partnership was unmissable and tapped into culturally relevant fandoms to ensure McDonald’s ‘Dare to Play’ was always part of the conversation.
The results speak for themselves. More than 1 million Macca’s Squid Game Meals sold out and the restaurant grew its average basket size by 50 per cent over the promo period. Media reached 43.2 million, generating more than 127 press pieces, while social media reached well over 2 million.
Entries have opened for the 2026 Cairns Crocodiles Awards. Due to popular demand, this year’s awards program has expanded with eight new categories that celebrate innovation and regional excellence.
Get snappy and enter the 2026 Cairns Crocodiles Awards!
