2020 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

How do you get youth to join the workforce? You adopt the buddy system. That’s how McDonald’s got new recruits to apply to work at its stores. After seeing a drop in applications from Canadians under 24, the QSR got Cossette to encourage young adults to join the company’s ranks in friendly pairs, instead of on their own. The “Friends Wanted” campaign featured an online video series, following two fictional friends and their hijinks as they worked the store floor. The agency also created posters, in-restaurant video boards and tray liners featuring two job applications flipped upside down so that friends seated across from each other got the message. The call for applicants was shared on social media and platforms, like Twitch, that are designed for friend interactions. An impressive 75,000 applications came through McDonald’s door – and that was just during the first month of the campaign.

Credits

Agency: Cossette
Global Chief Creative Officer(s): Peter Ignazi, Carlos Moreno
Group Creative Director: Jon Freir
Associate Creative Director/Art Director: Spencer Dingle
Associate Creative Director/Copywriter: Jordan Hamer
Art Director: Tyler Robitaille
Copywriter: Ellen Porteous
Senior Designer: Eric Wood
Agency Producer: Erica Metcalfe
Strategist: Jeff McCrory
Account Executive: Vallerie Traitses
VP, Client Lead: Sarah Jue
SVP, Managing Director: Kathy McGuire
Senior Digital Project Manager: Jeff Maynard
Production Manager: Dawn-Marie Mills
Studio Director: Raquel Mullen
Senior Retoucher: Trevor Gauthier
Production Artist: Barry Kent
Senior Director, Communications: Stacey Masson
External Communications Manager: Kali Pearson

Production House: Circle Productions
Director: James Haworth
Director of Photography: Stuart Campbell
Line Producer: Amanda Field
Executive Producer: Karen Tameanko
Development Executive: Laurence Payne
Editing House: Saints Editorial
Editor: Melanie Hider
Food Stylist: Noah Witenoff
Colour/Transfer Facility: The Vanity
Colourist: Andrew Exworth
Online Facility: The Vanity
Executive Producer: Stephanie Pennington
VFX Artist: Kaelem Cahill
Casting: Mann Casting
Casting Director: Steven Mann
Audio House: Berkeley Inc.
Audio Engineer: Jared Kuemper
Photography: Rodeo Production
Photographer: Raina & Wilson

Media Company: OMD Canada
Managing Director: Jammie Ogle
Associate Director of Strategy: Laurie St. John
Senior Strategist: Leah Burke
Senior Digital Specialist: Kate Debar
Search & Social Specialist: Deven Creagh

Client: McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Limited
Chief Marketing Officer: Antoinette Benoit
Marketing Officer: Hope Bagozzi
Senior Marketing Manager: Melanie Courtois
Chief People Officer: Stephanie Hardman External Communications Manager, Corporate Relations: Laura Munzar