AdMiration feature: McDonald’s “Rumble”

For this week’s AdMiration feature, we looked at consumer response to McDonald’s “Rumble” ad, which introduces the newest addition to their menu — a new burger called The Big Arch.

Read on to get our 3-2-1 snapshot of the ad (3 facts, 2 learnings and 1 reflection) and learn how their ad was received based on our data.

The ad opens to an office setting, zooming into a glass conference room mid-meeting and settling on a young man who spots a coworker at his desk, taking a huge bite out of a new McDonald’s burger. 

This sight instantly cues his stomach, which lets out a loud rumble in the conference room. Some of his coworkers give him a glance and attempt to resume the meeting, until his stomach lets out an even louder rumble that shakes the table. The rumble doesn’t stop, causing coworkers to hold onto their laptops, pens and anything else on the table — which is now falling off due to how much it's shaking! 

The rumble spreads throughout the entire office, causing desks and supplies to rattle on the entire floor, until he promptly stands and leaves to get a burger for himself. But it’s not just any burger — it's McDonald’s new Big Arch burger, which viewers can see for themselves as the young man takes a huge bite and a voiceover says, “Got big McDonald's hunger? The new Big Arch is here.”      

The ad closes with an easter egg of the woman who was holding the meeting running out of the glass conference room, as her own stomach begins to emit a monstrous rumble. 

3 facts

• This ad from McDonald’s resonated very well with consumers, landing in the top 10% of UK ads in potential to drive short term sales and brand equity in the longer term (Sales Impact: 93, Brand Impact: 92).

• The ad successfully announces McDonald’s new Big Arch burger while also implicitly reminding people of how satisfying McDonald's is as a whole. With the story revolving around hunger and McDonald's being the 'cure', almost a third of people talk about McDonald's satisfying hunger while new information related to the Big Arch scores a 3.8 versus a norm of 3.3, with some sharing: “IT’S BIG ARCH,” “the big arch is here” and “It was saying how good the big arch is.”

• The ad does a great job at eliciting love and laughter for McDonald’s, which we’ve seen to be a very successful combination. Scoring above the norm on both Love (30% vs. 21% norm) and Laughter (17% vs. 7%), viewers found the ad to not only be hilarious, but also very relatable. And people love the brand! 

2 learnings

• Tapping into a real consumer insight can help you easily connect with your audience. This spot from McDonald’s does an excellent job at tapping into a feeling that most people can relate to — that pang of hunger or uncontrollable rumble from your tummy when you realize you’ve yet to eat your lunch! Complete with the solution of their Big Arch burger, McDonald’s creates a spot that's instantly relatable (and therefore much more resonant and emotionally engaging, with people sharing things like: “Everyone can relate to that hunger pang that just erupts and you just gotta act on it" and “I can relate - I have had many a rumbling tummy in a meeting.”     

• DBAs are a superpower to help ensure your brand is clear. In McDonald’s case, they have been investing and building upon their DBAs (distinctive brand assets) for years and years — making it easy for the brand to convey who the ad is for, as well as the new information and relatable scenario in this spot, all in a very short period of time (only 30 seconds to be exact!). Early on, as soon as people see the bag, with the McDonald’s logo and a man eating a burger, they know it's for the brand.

1 reflection

Are you overcomplicating your advertising? Sometimes, the best course of action is to be single-minded in your approach. In this case, McDonald’s was straightforward in the message they were delivering, as well as who it was coming from. The brand tapped into an easily understandable consumer insight and seamlessly tied it to the announcement of their newest burger, The Big Arch, and the pain it solves for consumers. Simple as that! 

Because of this, audiences were easily able to tell just who the ad was for (Unaided Brand Recall: 83% vs. 73% norm). They also found the ad itself to be very easy to understand (Understanding: 4.3 vs. 4.1 norm) and that the Big Arch burger is now available, with some people spontaneously recalling: “the big arch is here,” “New Big Arch burger, for big hunger” and “there is a new product called the Big Arch and it is huge and satisfying for even the most hungry.” A true lesson in the power of simplicity. 

McDonald’s “Rumble” ad is part of the brand’s “Big McDonald’s Hunger” campaign which introduces a new addition to their menu — the Big Arch burger. This new burger is stacked with two 100% British and Irish beef patties, topped with white cheddar slices, crispy onions, fresh onions, shredded lettuce, crunchy pickles and smothered in the new signature Big Arch sauce.

Developed by Leo Burnett UK and shot by director Eric Wareheim, the global campaign introducing the Big Arch is also centered around a real consumer truth that there are times when you’re hungry for McDonald’s and there are times when you’re really hungry for McDonald’s, experiencing “Big McDonald’s Hunger.”

Leading up to (and even following) the release, PR and social content tease out the sauce’s flavor profile, with blurred visuals, behind-the-scenes footage and co-creation with fans to guess-the-flavor help turn it into a not-so-secret hero.

On creating the campaign, James Millers and Andrew Long, Executive Creative Directors at Leo Burnett UK, share: “Made to satisfy those relatable moments of Big McDonald’s Hunger, Big Arch is here to shake up the burger category — literally. It’s not everyday you get to launch a new icon on McDonald’s menu and we’ve had a blast meeting our fans in culture and awakening that unmistakable craving for McDonald’s across the globe. From boardrooms to festival grounds, this campaign shows how a simple fan truth can move people…and tables.”

Ben Fox, Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer at McDonald’s UK & IE, adds: “The Big Arch is the most exciting burger we’ve launched in a generation, a future classic, giving customers exactly what they’ve been asking for… 2x juicy, 100% British and Irish Beef patties, cheddar cheese, crispy onions and a new signature Big Arch sauce. The Big Arch is the perfect solution for those moments of ‘Big McDonald’s hunger.’ It is a two handed, multi napkin experience. As a Big Mac fan, it takes a lot to tempt me away from my favourite, but the Big Arch and its signature sauce certainly does.”

The global campaign will feature several films, OOH work (including a mural in Glasgow and takeovers around major events like Glastonbury Festival) and an in-restaurant media plan. 

This spot is a true lesson in simplicity and the power of real consumer insight! Unsurprisingly, the ad was very well-received by consumers, landing in the top 10% of UK ads in potential to drive short term sales and brand equity in the longer term (Sales Impact: 93, Brand Impact: 92).

This spot helped to bring fresh consistency to the well-loved brand, with the introduction of a brand new burger! The spot served as a great reminder of who the brand is and what sets them apart, resulting in a distinctive ad (Distinctiveness: 3.9 vs. 3.7 norm) that viewers enjoy (Enjoyment: 3.9 vs. 3.7 norm) and find relevant to them (Relevance: 3.7 vs. 3.4 norm).

Not only that, the ad made it easy for viewers to know who the ad was for, complete with visual and audio cues (like the McDonald’s branded bag, jingle and logo), which made it undeniable to the audience (Unaided Brand Recall: 83% vs. 73% norm).

The spot also did an excellent job at communicating what the ad was about (Understanding: 4.3 vs. 4.1 norm)  and the brand's latest offering (New Information: 3.8 vs. 3.3 norm), with many viewers spontaneously recalling the name of the new burger and that it is now available. 

Here’s what some people had to say when asked to relay the message of the ad:  

• the big arch is here

• IT’S BIG ARCH

• That there is a new product called the Big Arch and it is huge and satisfying for even the most hungry

• It was saying how good the big arch is

• New Big Arch burger, for big hunger

On top of that, in line with their “Big McDonald’s Hunger” campaign, the ad also did an excellent job at communicating great taste (62%) and good portion size (55%). 

But how did it make viewers feel? This spot wielded the power of both strong Love and Laughter, resulting in above the norm scores for both (Love: 30% vs. 21% norm and Laughter 17% vs. 7%) — a very successful combination!   

The first spike of Love occurs when the new McDonald’s burger is introduced and the man is seen eating it. The first spike of Laughter occurs when the other man’s stomach grumbles, and then continues with Laughter through to the room shaking. The highest spike of Love is seen when the young man finally gets his Big Arch burger, followed by when the voiceover says “the new Big Arch is here.” The ad ends on a final burst of laughter when the woman is shown experiencing her own big hunger rumble.

Ending the spot on a burst of laughter shows that the audience’s attention is kept right through to the end, and leaves people with a positive feeling towards the brand. As we mentioned before: the combination of Love and Laughter is a highly effective way to keep your audience engaged. 

More than that, the brand focused on a real consumer truth that made the ad (and the solution) instantly relatable. It’s a great example of a well-known brand keeping things fresh but consistent, and always bringing it back to their audience.  

Here’s what some people had to say about the ad:

• "I could relate to the ad re have felt hungry at various times and you have a craving for certain types of food. It was amusing and informative at the same time , explaining that you need not be hungry as McDonald’s has a new Big Arch burger out now."

• "The burger looked amazing. Everyone can relate to that hunger pang that just erupts and you just gotta act on it."

• "I liked the whole concept of seeing something you want and craving it. It’s also relatable to everyone."

• "I can relate - I have had many a rumbling tummy in a meeting"

• "I liked the look of the new burger - and its large size"

• "I liked the humour of the rumbling stomach etc and the burger looked tempting"

• "The ad was funny and memorable. Clever name for the sandwich with reference to the logo arches."

This is a hilariously relatable spot from McDonald’s that makes viewers beyond ready to try their latest burger! What did you think? Let us know by interacting with our coverage of the ad on LinkedIn.

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