McDonald’s NZ lets iconic menu names do the heavy-lifting in new outdoor work via McCann NZ

When you see the word cheeseburger, or fries, or sundae, there’s one brand you think of before all others. You know which one… McDonald’s. That’s the simple, confident thinking behind “You know where”, a national outdoor campaign for McDonald’s (Macca’s) created by McCann New Zealand, previously DDB Aotearoa.

Rolling out across the country, the campaign heroes some of Macca’s most iconic menu items but in name only. No product shots. No Golden Arches. No logo. Just the unmistakable product names – names shared by most competitors no less – standing confidently on their own.

Because you know where.

Says Gary Steele, Chief Creative Officer, McCann New Zealand: “Macca’s is an iconic global brand, and their products are so iconic they need no explanation, so we let the words do the talking.”

By stripping the creative back to its most minimal form, the work leans into a powerful truth: few brands in New Zealand have earned the right to be recognised without even showing their face. The simplicity of the outdoor executions beautifully proves what we all already know. When you think cheeseburger or hash brown, you think of the Macca’s brand – even when we take it away.

Head of Brand and Media at McDonald’s New Zealand, Leigh Benvie says that summer in Aotearoa means road trips, beach missions and long stretches between towns – with an all but guaranteed Macca’s stop in the middle: “We loved the bold move of showing up at such a crucial moment with the Macca’s brand stripped right back—no Golden Arches, not even a hint of the product. There aren’t many brands that could pull that off and confidently trust people to instantly connect the dots. That’s the kind of brand power Macca’s has.”

McDonald’s NZ
Luke Rive – Director of Marketing
Leigh Benvie – Head of Brand & Media
Creative Agency: McCann New Zealand
Media Agency: OMD New Zealand

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