Kendricks biggest Order
THIS MCDONALD'S CULTURAL CAMPFIRE CAMPAIGN WAS DESIGNED TO CONNECT WITH GEN Z THROUGH HIP-HOP CULTURE BY LITERALLY OFFERING KENDRICK LAMAR FOUR MCDONALD'S FRANCHISE CONTRACTS IN COLOGNE, GERMANY. INSPIRED BY HIS LYRICS MENTIONING THE BRAND, WE CREATED A FULL RAP SONG, MUSIC VIDEO, AND MULTI-PLATFORM SOCIAL STRATEGY TO MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE OFFER. WHILE THE CAMPAIGN NEVER SAW THE LIGHT OF DAY, IT REPRESENTED A BOLD APPROACH TO CULTURAL RELEVANCE THAT COULD HAVE TRANSFORMED HOW BRANDS ENGAGE WITH POP CULTURE.
Date
May 2024
Agency
Scholz&Friends
The Challenge
MCDONALD’S GERMANY NEEDED TO INCREASE BRAND RELEVANCE AMONG GEN Z, WITH ONLY 34.4% PENETRATION IN THAT DEMOGRAPHIC. THE GOAL WAS TO CREATE „CULTURAL CAMPFIRES“ – BRAND MOMENTS THAT GENUINELY CONNECT WITH POP CULTURE RATHER THAN JUST ADVERTISING AT IT. THE CHALLENGE WAS FINDING AN AUTHENTIC WAY TO INSERT MCDONALD’S INTO HIP-HOP CONVERSATION WITHOUT LOOKING FORCED OR INAUTHENTIC.
The Solution
WE BUILT AN ENTIRE CAMPAIGN AROUND A REDDIT POST WHERE FANS WERE SPECULATING ABOUT KENDRICK’S CONNECTION TO MCDONALD’S AND GERMANY. I WROTE CUSTOM RAP LYRICS AND WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE ARTIST TO PRODUCE A FULL TRACK OFFERING KENDRICK FOUR FRANCHISE CONTRACTS. THE STRATEGY STARTED WITH ORGANIC SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT, ESCALATED TO A PROFESSIONAL MUSIC VIDEO AND REAL CONTRACTS, AND CULMINATED IN HIP-HOP INFLUENCER COLLABORATIONS. WHETHER KENDRICK RESPONDED OR NOT, WE’D ALREADY ESTABLISHED MCDONALD’S AS A BRAND WILLING TO PARTICIPATE IN CULTURE RATHER THAN JUST OBSERVE IT.