McDonald's Overcomes Second Album Slump with Raise Your Arches Sequel, Reveals Data

The follow-up campaign by McDonald's, known as 'Raise Your Arches', did not achieve the same level of success as the original campaign, as per data provided by System1 and shared with Our Website.

Leo Burnett's 'Next Stop, McDonald's' earns a decent rating of 3.1 stars, but it falls behind the impressive 4.7 stars of 'Fancy A McDonald's'.

Similar to its predecessor released in January, McDonald's latest advertisement showcases a diverse group of friends, families, and even a bus filled with school children stuck in traffic. All of them cleverly signal their intention to make a detour to McDonald's by raising their eyebrows in sync with the catchy tune of Yello's Oh Yeah.

According to System1's chief customer officer, Jon Evans, McDonald's is facing challenges similar to the "difficult second album syndrome." This is because the emotional reaction that audiences have towards a frustrating traffic-filled advertisement is in stark contrast to the happiness associated with enjoying a lunch break at McDonald's. Evans points out that the lack of impact is due to the prevailing anger caused by being trapped in traffic, particularly on sweltering days.

Furthermore, the initial advertisement concludes with a scene depicting "a bustling building filled with gleeful employees joyfully marching towards the freedom of lunchtime," whereas the most recent version ends with the image of "everyone remaining in their vehicles."

He further remarks, "It appears that the allure of a McDonald's can only take you to a certain extent."

Evans argues that a "different ending" could have potentially resulted in a higher score.

Nonetheless, attempting to recreate the first ad's triumph may not have been the best course of action for the restaurant chain. Evans proposes that brands shouldn't succumb to the pressure of releasing a follow-up advertisement immediately after their initial success, as the notion of ad wear-out is unsubstantiated.

McDonald's CEO has praised marketing as a crucial factor driving the growth of the business and a fundamental element of its long-term business strategy, 'Accelerating the Arches'.

Over the past five years, the brand has intensified its marketing initiatives to embrace a culture of exceptional creativity. According to Joan Colletta, senior director of marketing transformation, who spoke to Our Website in June, "We have solid evidence that investing in brand-building work yields a near-term ROI that is 1.5 times higher than any other type of work."

The ad, directed by Edgar Wright, was released in the UK and subsequently introduced in 30 other markets. The potential effects and the possibility of introducing alternative versions in other markets remain uncertain.

Evans suggests that the new ad is not necessarily ineffective, but it fails to surpass its predecessor, leading to the question of why not simply re-run the previous ad.