McDonald’s celebrates family togetherness – ‘Then. Now. Always.’ in new campaign via DDB NZ

June 1 2022, 1:43 pm | BY Ricki Green | 25 Comments

McDonald’s is celebrating family togetherness with a touching ad by DDB Aotearoa, that shines a light on the special relationships that develop between grandparents and their grandchildren.

 

The spot, Then. Now. Always. acknowledges how these relationships can deepen through the years and how the reciprocity of a relationship becomes more meaningful as time goes on.

We see the strong bond between a grandmother and her grandson grow across the ages. The Granny, Ange, teaches young Eddie, the apple of her eye, a wealth of life lessons – how to tie his shoelaces, how to drive, and preps him for his first dance at his first ball. As Eddie grows up, it’s his turn to help his beloved grandma through her later years.

Once Eddie has kids of his own, we see him spending time with his little girl, Coco, and the ever-present now Great-Granny Ange, over a Macca’s meal – bringing the tale full circle.

McDonald’s director of marketing Luke Rive says the campaign highlights the importance of family and the special memories that are made over a McDonald’s meal: “McDonald’s has been a part of Kiwis lives for more than 45 years. We know just how important it is to spend quality time with your whānau, particularly these days when we’re all so tight on time. Through this campaign, we want to emphasise that Macca’s is always there to help families connect.”

DDB Aotearoa lead business partner Karla Fisher says the film is a lovely articulation of the McDonald’s brand which has always prioritised family and togetherness: “It’s a heart-warming story that I think many Kiwis can relate to. As we grow older, our relationship with our family changes and evolves and we assume different roles and responsibilities. The thing that endures however, are the memories, the little traditions – many of which have been created over a meal.”

The McDonald’s Then. Now. Always. campaign launched on 25th May with a 60”, 30” across TV, cinema and digital video.

Client: McDonald’s
Director of Marketing: Luke Rive
Head of Marketing: Deb Fell
Senior Bran Manager: Leigh Benvie
Brand Manager: Stef Phillips

Agency Credits: DDB
Chief Creative Officer: Gary Steele
Creative Director: Ben Pegler
Senior Creative: Paul Kim
Senior Creative: Graeme Clarke
Lead Business Partner: Karla Fisher
Account Director: Akira Hobcraft
Account Executive: Keara Voigt
Head of Planning: Charlotte Marks
Lead Integrated Producer: Samantha Royal

Production Company: Larchmont
Executive Producer: Ngaio McCreadie
Producer: Mark Foster
Director: Noah Marshall
DOP: John Toon
Offline Editor: Tim Mauger
Colourist: Joseph Bicknell
Post-production online: Perceptual Engineering
Song search, licensing, music producer: Jonathan Mihaljevich
Music arrangement and production: Mahuia Bridgeman-Cooper
Sound mix: Craig Matuschka, Liquid Studios