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Excellence Award

“McDonald’s 50 Years of Love”
McDonald’s Hong Kong

2025 marks McDonald’s 50th anniversary in Hong Kong—a momentous milestone for the brand. Despite the challenging
environment, McDonald’s aimed to create a grand brand anniversary celebration that can not only drive excitement across the
whole city but also help to drive forward momentum for its business. Having been a part of Hong Kong’s social fabric for the past
50 years, McDonald’s didn’t want to just celebrate its own business milestones, but instead celebrate ‘50 Years of Love,’ celebrating
50 years of a close emotional bond.

To symbolize this close relationship, McDonald’s brought back the iconic Ronald McDonald Bench as a key device for its 50th
anniversary celebration, recognizing its power to evoke memories and collective nostalgia. McDonald’s placed 50 Ronald
McDonald Benches at 50 iconic locations around the city, with each location telling a unique story about the brand’s shared history
with the city. Each bench also included a QR code that transformed the 50 benches into a gamified treasure hunt that turned the
whole city into an immersive experience that delivered breadth and depth in storytelling. Beyond the Ronald McDonald Bench,
the rest of the heritage McDonaldland characters were also brought back across the whole city.

The festivities began on January 1st with a McDonald’s-branded Star Ferry offering free rides, followed by exclusive food offers.
McDonald’s also celebrated with stakeholders, hosting three nights of crew dinners for over 8,000 staff, a special appreciation
dinner for 200 business partners at the Rosewood Hotel, and hosted special ferry experiences to the underprivileged community.
To bring the celebration to high note, a high-profile concert featuring McDonald’s pop star ambassadors created a once-in-a-life-
time musical event.

In the end, McDonald’s 50th anniversary celebration not only created new milestones for the brand, but also brought its business
to a new historic high.

Comments from the Judges:
It was commended as a remarkable celebration of brand legacy that transformed a milestone moment into a citywide affirmation
of affection. McDonald’s chose to honour the people who shaped its story — turning five decades of everyday memories into
a shared expression of gratitude and joy. In a time of economic uncertainty, it reminded the city of how an enduring brand can
continue to uplift spirits, unite generations, and inspire pride through genuine emotional connection.

The campaign was recognized for its masterful use of nostalgia and its ability to transform memory into movement. By reviving
the Ronald McDonald bench as a timeless symbol of companionship, the brand created an experience that was both heartfelt
and participatory — bridging generations through playful discovery and reflection. The initiative’s generosity, from inclusive ferry
experiences to citywide engagement, reinforced McDonald’s as a brand built on care, joy, and shared humanity.

The campaign achieved overwhelming public participation and record engagement, reigniting brand love and cementing
McDonald’s position as Hong Kong’s most cherished and iconic family brand.

Parties to be Recognized for Contributing to the Success of the Programme:
1. DDB Hong Kong
2. OMD Hong Kong

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HKMA / VIUTV & NOW TV AWARDS FOR MARKETING EXCELLENCE 2025