McDonald’s with creative agency DDB Sydney has launched an exciting State Of Origin campaign, utilising the likes of Nathan Cleary, Mitchell Moses and Reece Robson.
Footy fans, get hungry. Macca’s is turning up the heat with the launch of its limited edition Blues and Maroons Meals – the ultimate feed for those who bleed blue or maroon in an integrated campaign from DDB Group Sydney.
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McDonald’s sponsors the NSW Blues and the Queensland Maroon individual teams, so the brand wanted to tap into this bitter rivalry and get the die hard fans involved with the fiery three-part series.
B&T sat down with Blues tragic and long-standing Panthers supporter Jack Nunn, creative partner at DDB Group Sydney, to find out why Maccas is inserting itself into the origin feud.
“Wouldn’t it be cool if we could tap into all that passion that New South Wales fans have for the Blues and that Queensland fans have for the Maroons, and actually put that passion on the menu at Maccas,” he said.
By tapping into the passion, tragic state of origin fans can support their team by purchasing a limited edition boxed meal, and collect six cups that show significant moments in previous series. For example, there is a 2014 cup that Blues fans can sort out after, spotlighting the year that Bulldogs halves Josh Reynolds and Trent Hodkinson led a gutsy Blues side to their first State Of Origin series win in eight years!
Determined to deliver a fantastic product that wasn’t going to disappoint Rugby League fanatics this project has been in the works for more than a year now.
“We landed on this thought with these cups, of capturing six of the greatest origin moments from the blues and from the Maroons, and then actually taking it one step further by designing the cups as the jersey from that same year,” Nunn said.
It then went one step further, highlighting the attention to detail: “And even the Maccas logo on the cup is the logo from that year. So, the cup from 1995 also includes the Maccas logo from that year,” he said.
State Of Origin fans have a lot to look forward to with this campaign, with Maccas going all out: “It’s a properly integrated campaign with fan favourite footy shows, that will be happening in and around the Origin period,” the die-hard Blues fan said.” The campaign will utilise Triple M, the Mattie John’s show, Fox Sports and Kayo to further promote an extend the campaign.
McDonald’s has gone all out on this campaign, and B&T wanted to know the benefits of delving into playing in culture. Its not the first time it has marketed to a fanatic fan base, earlier in the year we saw Maccas release the Minecraft box.
“As a brand, it keeps Maccas relevant. The whole thing around knowing your audience, knowing the fans, and highlighting we’re loving what you’re loving,” he said.
“So if you’re passionate about something in culture at the moment, from the Minecraft movie to State Of Origin, regardless of the different cultural properties, they’re still the kind of thing that people really love and care about, so McDonald’s wanted to make those kind of moments feel as good as possible and integrate it within their offering.”
With a camera roll full of selfies with the 2025 teams, Nunn was stoked to work with incredibly talented athletes. As a Panthers fan he was especially stoked to be hanging around the likes of Nathan Cleary, Brian To’o, Isaah Yeo, Liam Martin and Dylan Edwards. Interestingly, he admitted to Queensland legend Johnathan Thurston being one of his favourite players to work with.
The campaign kicked off on socials with a cheeky back-and-forth between two of Origin’s most beloved legends and larrikins—Johnathan Thurston and Nathan Hindmarsh—who have brought their famous interstate rivalry to Instagram Stories for some good old-fashioned banter.
The campaign’s hero film5—airing now on TV and online—features fans of every flavour gearing up for game day in wildly passionate ways. From jerseys, baby names to questionable face paint, it all leads to one place: the counter at Macca’s, where loyalty can now be served with fries.
As the campaign unfolds, footy tragics will see their collector’s cups become the key to unlock bonus Blues or Maroons content, giving fans the chance to win some surprise prizes.
“The Macca’s Blues and Maroons Meals are all about celebrating our long-term partnership with both clubs and our fans,” said Mary Vrancic, senior marketing director, McDonald’s Australia.
“We know how much our customers love footy, and we are proud to provide a place for fans to meet before or after a game. Win or lose, we will always be there for footy fans and now these legendary new meals are the perfect expression of that.”
The campaign runs until 9 July 2025 with each meal being available at participating Macca’s restaurants in Queensland, Northern Territory, NSW and ACT.
Credits
Client: McDonald’s Australia
Creative Agency: DDB Group Sydney
Media Agency: OMD Australia
POS Agency: Akcelo
CRM Agency: Digitas Australia
Promotion Agency: Creata Australia
Production Company: Scoundrel
Director: Ariel Martin
