The campaign, by DDB Sydney, rekindles one of the most effective pieces of TV copywriting in a nostalgia play from the 70s, 80s and 90s.
Hands up if you could recite all of the ingredients in a Big Mac to score a free burger at your local McDonald’s in the 80s?
The fast food chain has brought back the classic Big Mac chant in a new campaign, The Original Mouthful.
For those born from the mid 90s onwards, the chant goes: “Two all-beef patties, Special Sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.”
‘The Original Mouthful’ pays tribute to how the Big Mac chant became part of the Aussie vernacular (particularly in school yards during the 80s when reciting the chant and collecting your free Big Mac was a rite of passage. That promo is not part of this new campaign).
The campaign, directed by Leilani Croucher, is a nod to the Big Mac’s 56-year legacy. A 60-second hero film begins by transporting Maccas fans to 1968, when Big Mac creator Jim Delligatti devised the iconic burger and, unwittingly, the chant.
The film then travels through the Big Mac’s evolution across the decades, showcasing how the burger and its ingredients have stood the test of time.
McDonald’s Australia marketing director Samantha McLeod said: “The challenge of introducing a new generation of Aussies to the Big Mac and the much-loved chant was something we did not take lightly! Australians love their Big Macs and we’re really thrilled with this campaign from our agency village – it’s McDonald’s ‘feel good marketing’ at its best and there’s a lot more exciting stuff to come, so stay tuned.”
DDB Sydney executive creative director Matt Chandler added: “The launch film was shot and crafted with excruciating attention to detail, ensuring every decade was brought to life as though it had been found on a shelf in an archive. From the wardrobe and propping to the speech patterns and performances of our talent, everything was lovingly recreated to give that innocent and infectious feeling of fun you get trying to nail the chant.”
The new campaign, which runs this month, will be brought to life on TV, online video, out-of-home, radio, digital audio, social, print, point of sale, PR, influencers and partnerships with further elements to launch soon.
Below, B&T has dug up a couple of the original Big Mac chant ads from the 70s and 80s.
Once you have mastered the Big Mac chant, B&T recommends you give this McMenu chant from the 90s a crack.
The Original Mouthful Credits
Client: McDonald’s Australia
Chris Brown – Chief Customer Officer
Samantha McLeod – Marketing Director
Liz Whitbread – Senior Brand Manager
Luke Elzerman – Experience Optimisation Manager
Chloe Brannagan – Brand Manager
Creative Agency: DDB Sydney
Stephen de Wolf – National Chief Creative Officer
Matt Chandler – Executive Creative Director
Stephanie Allen – Senior Copywriter
Andrew Torrisi – Senior Art Director
Mandy Whatson – Group Managing Partner
Adam Blaynee – Group Business Director
Steph Dix – Operations Director
Lucy Stone – Project Manager
Chloe McIvor – Senior Business Manager
Rene Shalala – Executive Producer
Katharina Wynne – Strategy Partner
Katy Andrews – Director Social and Content Strategy
Production Company: Revolver
Director – Leilani Croucher
Manager Director / Co-Owner – Michael Ritchie
Executive Producer / Partner – Pip Smart
Senior Producer – Serena Paull
DOP – Andrew Commis
Production Designer – Damien Drew
Costume Designer – Sophie Fletcher
Post Production: ARC Edit
Executive Producer – Daniel Fry
Producer – Sally Quade
Editor – Elise Butt
First Assistant Editor – Carly Anne Kenneally
Second Assistant Editor – Harrison Carr
Colourist – Edel Rafferty
Colour & Online Assistant – Jack Wilson-Lee
Online Artist – Richard Lambert
Online Artist / VFX – Patrick Campbell
Sound & Music: Smith & Western Sound
Nick West & Dan Higson
Media: OMD
Emily Bosler – Head of McDonald’s
Zoe May – Head of Strategy
Catriona Oran Barthram – Head of Comms Planning
Brittany Meale – Strategist
Taylor Hilditch – Account Director
Anna Heslop – Senior Account Manager
PR & Influencer: Mango
Tabitha Fairbairn – Managing Director
Ashleigh Vallance – Senior Account Director
Nada Duyker – Account Director
Sidney Balfour – Senior Account Manager
MyMacca’s app and POS: Akcelo
April Tunstall – Business Lead
Melanie Tozer – Senior Account Director
Alex Kostiouk – Senior Project Manager
CRM: Digitas
David Huang – Account Director
