2020’s Creative Campaigns #3 – You Can Now Buy Big Mac Sauce

Today (12th February 2020), McDonald’s will be selling its well-celebrated ‘Big Mac Sauce’ in stores across the UK.

You can purchase dipping pots for just 50p in restaurants up and down the country, and I believe that special campaigns are being led in London to promote the launch of their newest item on the purchasable menu.

After a limited edition bottle of the sauce sold for £65,900 (more than a Range Rover) a few years ago on eBay, the well-loved brand has seen an opportunity and grasped it with both hands. Executing the delivery perfectly, the launch of the famed Big Mac sauce as a saleable product is shaping up to be one of my favourite marketing campaigns of the year so far.

Why? Well, let’s see…

Global Coverage

I still get butterflies when I get coverage, I think most PRs would agree with me on that front. So, I can only imagine how the McDonalds Communications team feels right now as they watch their story blow up on every single news outlet you could think of. Both national and overseas newspapers have picked this up in abundance, and I doubt it’ll be long before radio and TV get wind of it too (if they haven’t already).

That’s some pretty impressive coverage for the brand.

Not to mention that a quick look into Google Trends will show you that the interest for the brand has clearly spiked since the campaign went to press.

Building (Well, Growing) The Brand

What more, we already know that McDonald’s is a well-loved brand. Not only here in the UK but across the entire world. Wherever you may be, you’re never too far away from a Maccy D’s.

This is partly thanks to their longstanding reputation (did you know the first McDonald’s opened in 1955, because I didn’t), and key products such as the Big Mac which, let’s face it, no fast food restaurant has come close to competing with. However, one thing they also ought not to forget is how their consistently impressive PR & Marketing strategy has not only retained their brand image, but allowed it to grow.

It’s easy to be ignorant in thinking that when you’re the market leader, you don’t need to focus on a comms strategy. That’s not the case at all. Especially for the likes of McDonald’s, who often have Burger King hot on their heels pulling all kinds of plucky stunts out of the bag to seize some of the market away from their competition.

I can only assume that the guys over at McDonald’s know this all too well, as their consistent and impressive marketing campaigns are brilliant at securing and strengthening their brand. From the market penetration of new and exciting products (such as the Grand Big Mac) to capitalising on what they know their consumers love (for example, selling the Big Mac sauce).

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel for this brand, when their products and brand image is already wildly popular. It’s just my opinion, but this is why I feel that this campaign is going to do a lot better than the recent release of their new ‘vegan’ dippers.

They’re winning coverage and winning customers; which is indisputably impressive for a company that’s already a clear market leader.

What do you think of McDonalds’ latest campaign? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter…