In a move that few saw coming, two weeks ago McDonald’s shifted most of its creative in the US from long-time incumbent DDB to famed indie agency Wieden & Kennedy, New York.
And now the reason for the move has been revealed – a bacon record!
According to reports on Business Insider, the relationship between agency and client – already a frosty one – broke down irrevocably when DDB’s creatives pitched an idea for a record made of bacon that was “playable and edible”.
Sadly, the piggy stunt never saw the light of day, neither did DDB’s other idea – a bespoke agency inside the Omnicom business solely dedicated to McDonald’s called Now We Are Unlimited.
Apparently, the playable porcine treat was the final straw for a frustrated Macca’s marketing team and it switched most of its creative to Wieden & Kennedy a fortnight ago.
DDB will continue as Macca’s creative partner in Australia while DDB in the US will retain some parts of the account – Happy Meals, apparently.
Wieden & Kennedy currently do KFC’s creative in the US, although both parties have insisted there’s no conflict of interest.
Macca’s has 14,000 restaurants in the US that generate a staggering $US38 billion ($A56 billion) in sales annually.
Commenting on the move to Wieden & Kennedy, Macca’s US CMO Morgan Flatley said he was not concerned about the agency’s affiliation with rival KFC, adding: “We wanted to make the decision around getting the best work that this business deserves.
“Creative excellence is a huge passion point of mine,” Flatley added, noting that the Wieden & Kennedy team understood “the heart and the soul of this brand”.
