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McDonald’s responds:
If your crown is made of cardboard, sit at the kids’ table.
Love it! That's how you respond to something like this. Now, both brands are seen as cool, fun, and clever, all good things that people can relate to. And everyone loves a good comeback comment line. A bit of tit-for-tat, as they say. Well played by both brands 👏🏻
Coach
It’s not about the agency greenlighting things like this. It’s about things like this being right for the brand. This is right for Burger King. It’s not right for most brands.
I don’t even find this that edgy. It’s a great line, but simply references both brand mascots in a clever way. Any agency that turns this down is not worth working at.
Mentor
Many brands do not want to be competitive. For example, McDonald’s can’t be competitive because it would be punching down. Other brands just have different desires for their tone for other reasons. So I would work on a brand that has demonstrated competitiveness before.
Shouldn’t the copy use “when” instead of “while”?
Precisely. This was a common occurrence in the years we worked with them. Half thought through ideas, horrible writing, broken English. This was my favorite: https://www.graphicdesignforum.com/t/burger-king-2021-logo/16269/14
It’s not just about the agency. A lot depends on the client’s appetite for boldness and the brand’s positioning. Some clients are more conservative or simply don’t have the claims to support competitive work, even if the agency is ready to go all in.
The best way to get anything made is to craft it and sell it in really well.
Coach
“The best way to run fast is to run really hard”
HEADLINES
Culture Wars Extend to Burger Joints
Clever Banter Cedes Control to Cautious Platitudes
You have to be clever and throw some good-humored fun in for it to work. Whoever wrote that copy hit the nail on the head. Anything less, such as shaming or bashing a company, will fail. It has to be lighthearted and meant to get a grin out of the reader, not a frown.
It depends on the agency and client. you cant’t use name or anything that could risk copy/trademark violations. This can exist bc McDonald’s doesn’t own the concept of clowns.
That said, any creative that gives attention real estate to another brand is mid in my book - it’s bad strategy, even if it’s clever copy. The best way to do bold is to do something that doesn’t direct-mention competition. Like my takeaway from this is now I want McDonald’s.
Yeah, my agency wouldn't dare to greenlight anything like this either. There's just too much to look into because it requires careful execution to avoid legal issues or brand damage. Is it really worth all the trouble? I guess the answer depends on who you're talking to lol.
If you want to make work like that, try looking for agencies that work for challenger brands. Market leaders won’t do things like that very easily.
Hah, I actually tried that—it didn’t work out. I interviewed with Gut Miami, and the process was soul-crushing. I made it to the final round, but I guess I didn’t impress the Argentinian CCO. Then the recruiter ghosted me, even though she “loved me”.
That's the best marketing I've seen.