McDonald’s

McDonald’s is often perceived as a fast-food giant. But over the years, the company has repeatedly pushed the boundaries of communication design and developed into a much more diverse brand. With creative campaigns that extend far beyond traditional advertising, McDonald's has been increasingly recognised for its innovative approach to brand storytelling, corporate responsibility, and engaging its audiences in meaningful ways. Numerous McDonald's campaigns have been recognised in the Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design, each offering a unique perspective on how the brand communicates with its audience, highlighting the company’s ability to blend creativity with strategic messaging.

McDonald’s Flight Map

One innovative campaign is the McDonald’s Flight Map, created for the opening of Germany’s largest McDonald's restaurant at Frankfurt Airport. In this campaign, flight routes were designed to form the iconic McDonald’s logo, symbolising a seamless connection between the brand and the bustling airport environment. The Flight Map campaign was a perfect blend of McDonald’s identity with the airport’s dynamic atmosphere, standing out among the myriads of advertisements at the airport. This campaign, developed by Leo Burnett and thjnk, was awarded a Red Dot for its creativity and impactful communication design in 2015.

The McDonald’s Brand Book

In 2017, The McDonald’s Brand Book, featuring the slogan “Ich liebe es” (I’m lovin’ it), was at the centre of a comprehensive campaign that was awarded a Red Dot. Illustrating what makes McDonald’s special, it serves as a guideline for franchisees, partners, employees and everyone who deals with the brand on a daily basis, giving inspiration and helping people identify with the concept of McDonald’s.

I’m Lovin’ It 2.0

Originally developed by the German agency Heye & Partner in 2003, the iconic “I’m Lovin’ It” slogan became a global and linguistic phenomenon, deeply embedding itself in popular culture and shaping McDonald’s brand identity worldwide. Years later, Leo Burnett in collaboration with thjnk further redefined the slogan with the I’m Lovin’ It 2.0 campaign, giving it a fresh, modern interpretation for McDonald’s 60th anniversary. This evolution reinforced the brand’s message of inclusivity, spontaneity, and youthful energy, proving the enduring power of the original slogan in shaping McDonald's global image. The TV spot, set to a custom soundtrack by electronic musician Boris Blank, portrays McDonald’s as a space filled with endless possibilities. The innovative visuals and energising beats resonate with a youthful audience, reinforcing the idea of McDonald’s as a place of joy and discovery. The campaign was awarded a Red Dot in 2015.

The Burger Report: Corporate Responsibility Through Design

In 2015, Leo Burnett and thjnk redefined corporate responsibility communication with The Burger Report. This innovative campaign used packaging as a medium to share important corporate information. Sustainability and ethics at McDonald’s were presented through infographics directly on the packaging, and QR codes led to a full report. The jury was impressed by the creative use of the packaging and awarded a Red Dot: Best of the Best. Above all, it praised the playful and at the same time informative approach to corporate responsibility: “The design of the Burger Report captivates with its cheerful and original approach toward conveying the serious issue of corporate responsibility: it prints the key facts in the form of info graphics, held in the colours of the typical burger, directly onto the packaging. The smart and playful presentation encourages interaction and gently nudges the target group to download the full report via QR code”.

The Burger Report, Red Dot: Best of the Best winner 2015

The Forest of Fries: A witty take on quality and myths

In 2017, McDonald’s took a witty approach to dispel myths surrounding its products with The Forest of Fries campaign. The commercial humorously addressed the false belief that McDonald’s fries are made from wood and sawdust. The story follows a man exploring a forest, inspecting trees for quality, and harvesting wood to create fries. The campaign’s ironic tone and absurd visual execution brilliantly dismantled the myth while reinforcing McDonald’s commitment to quality. The campaign won a Red Dot: Best of the Best for its exceptional creativity and cinematic execution: “Irony meets preeminent execution – this is how the outstanding achievement of the commercial ‘Forest of Fries’ can be epitomised.

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Boasting a refined sense of mockery, the way in which it picks up the myth that McDonald’s fries are made of wood and sawdust and stages it in absurd details is not only funny as an idea, but also a brilliant cinematic example of how quality can be represented,” said the Jury.