French Fries spark loving connection in new summer campaign McDonald's

Hearing-impaired actress plays lead role in branded film about Good Times

The Netherlands, Amsterdam, July 12th, 2022 – Two teens, both using a different language, fall in love during their summer holiday in McDonald’s Netherlands’ latest summer campaign proves that the season is for sharing. The campaign was developed in collaboration with Amsterdam-based creative agency TBWANEBOKO and TBWAX.

Special campaign film

The brand film tells the story of English teenager, Eloise, who falls in love with vacation worker “Koen” on a Dutch campsite during her summer vacation. Their romance blossoms and is sealed with a kiss at their favorite restaurant, McDonald’s while sharing a box of its iconic French fries. What makes the film extra special is that Eloise teaches Koen her language, namely sign language.

“Eloise stood out because of her mix of innocence and vulnerability combined with her strength and zest for life,” said Erik Falke, Creative Director at TBWANEBOKO. “Early on in the casting process we made a conscious decision to tell an authentic story from this character’s point-of-view and after casting in several countries with deaf and hard of hearing actresses, Eloise stood out.”

Falke continues to say that Eloise’s role was bigger than just that of an actress as she helped the director make the correct creative choices to convey an authentic experience from her point-on-view.

In addition to the casting process, the production process was also different. Communication on set was done through an English interpreter in sign language, so that no nuance would be lost. The first version of the edit was also shared in a group discussion with people with hearing disabilities, after which their feedback was taken into account in further development of the film.

“McDonald’s is there for everyone. That is exactly what appealed to us so much with this script and campaign,” says Stijn Mentrop, CMO at McDonald’s Netherlands. “This time we chose to give the lead role in our brand film to a young woman with a hearing impairment. After Covid we have to learn to understand each other again and we are open to new connections, this film clearly shows that. We can go out together again, everything is possible, and that summer feeling can’t be compared to anything else. Summer is for sharing together and our fries are perfect for those special moments.”

A summer long campaign

Summer is ideally the season to celebrate together. And a visit to McDonald’s increases that feeling of summer fun. Especially when the French Fries are added: they are made for sharing. This is reflected throughout the brand campaign: with special sharing deals, activations in the restaurants, an App full of summer fun, social, a collaboration with one of the biggest Dutch radio stations: Q-music and a brand film.

Summer surprises

In the Dutch McDonald’s App, you’ll find surprises to enjoy together throughout the summer. For example, July 13, French Fries Day is celebrated by ordering French Fries in French. On July 30, the Day of Friendship, McDonald’s offers the whole of the Netherlands the chance, for example, to restore a lost friendship with fries. And a special Friettruck will drive through the Netherlands to provide spontaneous surprises.