Dive Brief:
- McDonald’s is rolling out its new value platform with an oddball marketing effort starring actor and professional wrestler John Cena, according to a press release.
- A TV spot shows ultra-buff Cena in an outfit recalling Mr. Rogers as he explains the deals available through the McValue menu before going off on a larger inspirational spiel. The ad closes on the wrestler making his signature “you can’t see me” hand gesture before disappearing.
- McDonald’s is ramping up its value offerings after consumer price sensitivity weighed on the business last year. The Golden Arches owner is extending its popular $5 Meal Deal and adding a Buy One, Add One for $1 offer, along with running a range of local franchisee and in-app promotions.
Dive Insight:
McDonald’s is ringing in the new year with a more expansive value platform — and a pep talk from John Cena. A wider assortment of meal deals, including a Buy One, Add One for $1 offer, follows a period where the fast food chain grappled with price-sensitive consumers and its first decline in U.S. comp sales since the start of the pandemic. Promotions like the $5 Meal Deal helped the brand regain some momentum in the second half of 2024, a strategy it’s now trying to better capitalize on with the aid of celebrity-led marketing. The McValue platform was first unveiled in November.
In the new ads, Cena explains how the Buy One, Add One for $1 promotion works while outfitted in a mustard yellow zip-up sweater and matching tie. The vibe of the video shifts as Cena stands up and begins espousing the larger transformational power of McValue, stating that, at any moment, the platform “could take you to a place where a whole new menu of possibilities exist, inspiring you to order more from life than you could ever imagine.” Cena then waves his hand over his face, a signature move from his wrestling career, before disappearing into the horizon. Cena’s “you can’t see me” gesture and supposed invisibility have become a recognizable meme in larger internet culture beyond wrestling fandom.
The timing of the campaign could resonate for a few reasons: Many people are trying to commit to new year’s resolutions and could appreciate the humorous angle. Cena, an iconic wrestling personality who has broken into Hollywood stardom, this week also kicked off his farewell tour with the WWE.
Along with the 30-second TV spot and an extended cut on YouTube with additional pops of surreality, Cena appears in additional content on McDonald’s social channels. Wieden + Kennedy is McDonald’s creative agency.
McValue will also see McDonald’s partner with over a dozen brands, including YouTube, Tinder, Roku, American Airlines and Lyft, to share more than $3 million in promotional offers throughout January. McDonald’s latest in-app perks include free medium fries with a $1 purchase every Friday this year and a free McCrispy chicken sandwich for new users, which could help drive sign-ups.
The McValue marketing blitz lands the same week as an announcement that McDonald’s will roll back key diversity initiatives, part of a larger pullback on DEI programs among large brand marketers.
