The ‘Colorful Summer’ drive is launching through a range of marketing executions, including TV, print, outdoor, merchandising and online.
In common with the past two years, the fast food giant has enlisted Chinese pop star Wang Lee Hom to pen a new tune for the campaign, which will debut as part of the new TVC.
According to McDonald’s China chief marketing officer Gary Rosen, the summer campaign sees the debut of several new products tailor-made for the China market. Four new premium dessert-style drinks are launching, along with two new versions of the Filet-o-Fish.
“We’re really tapping into the insight that people are looking for not just a refreshment, but a summer oasis,” said Rosen. “We’ve found that they want foods that tap into that need for lightness. Consumers are looking for a break from the heat of summer.”
The TVC, developed by TBWA, features a blend of live action beachfront visuals and animation, and also touts McDonald’s 24-hour capability. “We try to imagine the most cluttered street with cluttered neon, and then ask, how do we break through that?” said Rosen.
Meanwhile, Wang is also remixing five of his songs; consumers can download the new tracks from the McDonalds.com.cn website by using the coupon that they are given when they buy one of the new drinks.
“Product development has to happen for a reason,” explained Rosen. “It has to fulfil a need that the people have, and that’s a very different approach for us and for other companies.”
While TBWA is handling above-the-line duties for the campaign, Arc developed the relevant merchandising, with Tribal DDB in charge of digital output.
The drive comes as competition in China’s fast food sector continues to heat up — Burger King recently announced plans to grow its negligible China presence from its current 12 outlets to as many as 300 over the next five years. KFC, meanwhile, has more than 2,000 restaurants in China, compared with 800 for McDonald’s.
“Summer is always a time of growth, but we always want to do more,” said Rosen. “This is the time of year when people are out of school and taking holidays. It’s a very important time for us and it’s about building frequency.”