DDB SA breakfasts with McMuffin

"We all know mornings are a rush and people are increasingly aware that breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” he says. Research has also shown that there is a need for education in the local market about the 'English muffin' content of the meal as South Africans' concept of muffins is usually of the blueberry or choc chip variety.

Campaign rollout

This insight helped to shape the campaign that rolls out this November with massive national trials across all 122 branches.

Binikos says the aim is to encourage people to try the new breakfasts: "It's a 1 Million free McMuffin giveaway. We're handing out vouchers for these at large intersections near to branches and within restaurants to customers purchasing meals at lunch and dinner. The vouchers also serve the purpose of profiling the breakfast range, which is relatively unknown to South Africans."

McDonald's introduced the McMuffin range in the US in the early '70s and its success in the 'grab and go' breakfast market has been phenomenal. DDB hopes to mirror this success locally by positioning its client as a serious competitor in the convenience breakfast market.

The television ads are crafted around a demonstration of the actual product and mark the beginning of a planned relationship between four young professionals in a car pool and viewers.

All still bleary-eyed, with ties not yet done, but hungry, habitually late and in a rush, these four are ordering breakfast at a McDonald's drive-thru. And there's always one, isn't there? The irritating guy who's more awake than the rest and asks irksome questions, successfully annoying the rest of the party.

But the theme of the questions is always 'breakfast' and so the message of a satisfying “grab & go” breakfast is achieved in a series of humorous ads designed to showcase the McMuffin range.

The radio ads, scheduled for morning drive-time when commuters are hungry and stuck in traffic, are calculated to stimulate the appetite and encourage a convenient, filling breakfast.

In true DDB style, this is a 360 degree campaign, with outdoor (bus shelters), a small web presence and plenty of entertainment.

McDonald's is also launching Premium Roast 100% Arabica Coffee concurrently.