Challenge:
Everyone wants a piece of Christmas, and most brands fight for it with big budgets, emotional storytelling, and familiar clichés. In Romania, this seasonal rush has become predictable, even exhausting. A recent study shows 79% of people feel festive products are promoted too early, and many say Christmas ads are starting to feel repetitive.
For McDonald’s, the holidays present a unique challenge: when people turn to home-cooked meals and family traditions, fast food often gets left out. But there’s an opportunity -71% of Romanians are drawn to limited-edition products during Christmas, especially in food.
That’s why McDonald’s rolls out a festive Limited Edition burger each year—to stay visible, relevant, and top-of-mind when the category typically fades.
We identified three key tensions:
1. A crowded, high-spend media landscape
2. A season centered around home and family
3. A loss of brand distinctiveness in the glow of generic holiday messaging
Our challenge: In a season dominated by sameness and sentiment, how can McDonald’s cut through the noise with a fresh, ownable point of view—and bring people back in
Idea:
Christmas belongs to believers, and those who keep the magic alive.
As kids, we believe in Santa. One day, without notice, we become him - creating Christmas for someone else.
Our campaign celebrates these unsung holiday heroes: the secret bringers of Christmas.
It follows a boy who catches a glimpse of someone placing a gift under the tree, wearing red socks with McDonald’s golden arches. Convinced he’s discovered Santa, he sets off on a quiet quest to find out who’s behind the magic. But when everyone at McDonald’s is wearing the same socks, the mystery deepens.
The message? Santa isn’t just one person - it’s anyone who gives, surprises, or spreads joy. A parent. A stranger. A McDonald’s fan.
With festive recipes, feel-good merch, and small, warm gestures, McDonald’s becomes part of the holiday spirit, supporting those who make Christmas happen.
Execution:
The story began with a TVC following a young boy on a heartfelt mission to find Santa, guided by a clue: red McDonald’s socks. His journey led straight to our restaurants, where fiction met reality. Fans could get their own pair of the now-iconic socks with every Festive Meal, stepping into the role of “Christmas Bringers” themselves.
Execution build-up:
· Storytelling Hero:
The emotional heart of the campaign was the TV spot. The red socks became a simple, powerful symbol of holiday magic and the people who make it happen.
· Physical Connection:
The socks were brought to life as a limited-edition gift with Festive Meals, transforming into a wearable piece of the story—and a quiet badge of generosity.
· Social Extension:
Influencers received personalized gift boxes and joined an exclusive “Vault” event to unbox Christmas. Digital and social content amplified the narrative through sock sightings, unboxing moments, and user-generated stories of secret givers.
· Call to Action: We turned sentiment into foot traffic, inviting people to unwrap festive flavors, and a few surprises, including the red socks, at McDonald’s.
Results:
In a crowded holiday season, McDonald’s didn’t just run another festive campaign, it created a meaningful connection. By shining a light on the hidden givers of Christmas and bringing that story to life through our iconic socks, we tapped into real emotion and cultural relevance.
The result? McDonald’s delivered its best winter sales campaign in three years and widened the brand preference gap over KFC by 4x. More than just a campaign, it became part of the season’s spirit, authentic, memorable, and impossible to ignore.