McDonald's — The 'As Featured In' Meal
A global meal composed entirely of menu items that have appeared in famous movies and TV shows, from Seinfeld to Loki.
Fig. 01 — Annotated creative
In August 2023, McDonald's launched the "As Featured In" meal, a global campaign that ran in over 100 countries. Instead of partnering with a current celebrity, the brand decided to partner with its own filmography, celebrating its countless appearances in pop culture.
This campaign is a masterclass in leveraging existing brand equity. The core insight is devastatingly simple: McDonald's is so woven into the fabric of culture that it's not just a restaurant; it's a recurring character. They didn't need to *create* a cultural moment; they just had to curate all the moments they were already a part of.
The frame here is genius. It positions McDonald's not as a brand *sponsoring* culture, but as an inseparable piece *of* culture. The supercut ad, featuring a cascade of clips from "The Office," "Seinfeld," and "Loki," doesn't feel like an ad. It feels like a cinematic celebration, with McDonald's rightfully taking its bow. This is a power move, subtly reminding competitors that they simply don't have the same back catalog.
The production is deceptively simple. The hero asset is a sizzle reel of found footage. By reframing these existing clips, Wieden+Kennedy created a narrative of cultural ubiquity. The media bet was equally audacious: a single, universal concept rolled out globally, betting that the shared cultural language of Hollywood would resonate from Ohio to Osaka.
Finally, the campaign expertly wields the cultural lever of fandom. It turns the act of watching the ad into a game of "spot the reference," and the act of ordering the meal into a way for fans to connect with their favorite fictional characters. It’s participatory, not passive. The brand becomes a stage for fans to celebrate their own favorite stories.