Burger in front, party out back: McDonald’s NZ debuts the Cheeseburger with a Mullet via McCann NZ, FleishmanHillard Aotearoa + OMD NZ

Canada had the McLobster. Mexico had the McMolletes. Now New Zealand has the… Cheeseburger with a Mullet? And while it may be April, this is no April Fools’ joke.

This weekend, McDonald’s (Macca’s) New Zealand alongside McCann New Zealand, FleishmanHillard Aotearoa and OMD New Zealand launched a campaign for a very limited trial of what fans are calling the McMullet.

It was seeded with a flurry of social posts and blog activity introducing the idea of adding an extra piece of strategically placed cheese to the back of a cheeseburger.

Fans loved it and started creating their own (dubbing it the McMullet), with influencers jumping on board to fan the flames.

Macca’s responded to the online activity by going full mullet at one of their restaurants. On Saturday 18th April, any customer who turned up to McDonald’s Penrose with a mullet received a free cheeseburger with a mullet. And for anyone not yet rocking the mullet, on-site barbers provided a trim to those ready to embrace the ‘business in the front, party out the back’ lifestyle.

McDonald’s New Zealand Marketing Director, Luke Rive, said the pop-up opportunity to get your hands on the cheeseburger with a mullet was all about having a bit of fun with fans and testing ideas in real time: “When we saw the reactions to videos on social, we thought, why not? It’s definitely tongue-in-cheek, but it’s also a fun way to bring fresh ideas to life with live trial to see how many mulleted Kiwis show up to claim their burger. It’s a fitting tribute to a discerning army of Kiwi mulleteers!”

Says Gary Steele, Chief Creative Officer, McCann New Zealand: “The mullet isn’t just a haircut – it’s an attitude. It has a proud history here, and it’s great that Macca’s can be part of this loved and debated piece of culture.

“After seeing some social commentary online around the idea here, we were able to give it the tribute it deserves. Gen Z has taken the mullet from ‘questionable life choice’ to ‘iconic personal brand.’ It’s exactly the kind of energy we wanted for this campaign. If your haircut already says, ‘party at the back,’ why shouldn’t your cheeseburger?”

While the campaign started with social engagement with fans, it grew to include influencers, targeted OOH, and physical activation. Instructions on social also showed fans everywhere how to create their own DIY hack for “burger in front, party out back”: simply order a cheeseburger with an extra slice of cheese and let it hang out the back.

And most importantly, the people loved it. Hundreds of mulleted burgers were enjoyed, an army of fans received new mullet hairdos, and one lucky punter even walked away with a year’s supply of cheeseburgers and haircuts after being crowned ‘Best Mullet’.

Adds Rive: “Our ‘cheeseburger with a mullet’ proved to be the perfect accompaniment to an actual mullet, whether it’s a full perm mullet, a buzz mullet, or the classic westie mullet. Who knows where it will pop up next?”

Client: McDonald’s NZ
Luke Rive – Marketing Director
Leigh Benvie – Head of Brand and Media Agency

Creative Agency: McCann New Zealand
PR & Experiential Agency: FleishmanHillard Aotearoa
Photography: Troy Goodall
Media Agency: OMD

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