mcdonald's "first love - huling el bimbo" tv spot works, gives mcdonald's a human heart and it is real

this ad works very well on many levels all at the same time. the ad completes mcdonald's ad campaign - they had the value meal campaign with the "wallet" tv spot, "burger, burger" for their thematic burger ads and this one is for their deserts.

it has a very interesting story and what makes it even better is that it has a very good twist to it. it is supposed to be a sad story, but you don't feel bad after the ad ends. in some strange way and it can be hard to explain, you feel good after seeing the ad.

the ad gives mcdonald's a very human heart and a real one. it's not just a restaurant where people go to eat, it is a place where stories about the lives of people are made. romance in a fast food restaurant? it probably happens in real life but in our dreams and expectations, romance happens in a french restaurant. hard to imagine that you will hear violins played in a fastfood joint like mcdo but in this one it did and we all smile after.

and that is where one of the appeals if this ad springs from.

puppy love or your first love is always a good subject to talk about. "the one that got away" is one other story everyone has. but combining both the way that this mcdonald ad did makes magic.

the stroke of genius in this ad for the brand is making the mcdonald's desert of fries and ice cream sundae as the fulcrum, the star of the story. dipping the fries on the ice cream sundae was the spark of the beginning of the first love story and the same thing was the reminder that this girl of years ago is now the woman that got away. it is a good romance story when we see one that does not use the often used, touch of the hand, or smile or first kiss, this one is the action of dipping fries on the ice cream sundae.

there is a twin to that stroke of genius and it lies on the same element of dipping fries into the sundae. eating fries laced with ice cream sundae may seem gross to many, but those who practice it swear it is gourmet food at its best. it is a practice specially among the young and kids, it's just they have kept it a secret to the rest of us.

now, that strategy visual, that consumer habit, the best kept secret of gourmet food enjoyment in a fastfood chain is formally owned by mcdonald's. we are sure that after they aired this ad. many of the uncoverted tried it and most probably got converted. for sure a large portion of kids tried it.

that is what advertising is marketing is about - ads that make more people use more of the brand's products. now, more people will not just order only fries or just ice cream sundae, they need to order both.

putting it in this ad makes this ad resonate. people will empathize with it. they will find relevance and meaning. it is an excellent consumer insight. how the creative director strung that together is a stroke of genius. now, that's the third time i said that.





more on this ad on the next post.