New McDonald's advert is being called 'genius' even though it doesn't feature a product or restaurant

A catchy new McDonald’s advert is being called ‘genius’ after people realised it doesn’t even feature a product or restaurant - just some hungry colleagues.

Watch the new ad here:

Those working in advertising usually appeal to our rumbling bellies when it comes to promoting food by taunting us with images of towering burgers or slow-mo videos of chocolate being poured sensually into someone’s mouth.

But the effect is often even more evocative when these tropes are ignored – which McDonald’s has done with its latest offering.

It’s out with the ‘ba-da-ba-ba-baaaa, I’m lovin’ it!’ and in with Yello’s distinctive 1985 hit ‘Oh Yeah’, which is known for featuring in John Hughes film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

The advert, which is directed by none other than Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz mastermind Edgar Wright, shows a group of colleagues in an office before lunch.

McDonald's

One leans over to her co-worker's desk and slaps a post-it note with the Golden Arches on it onto her computer screen, raising her eyebrows.

Her friend clearly doesn’t need to be asked twice, and the pair get up to leave for their burger fix – before proceeding to take the whole office with them.

McDonald's

Commenting on the advert, TikTok marketing expert Rachael (@becauseofmarketing_) said: “McDonald’s has just released the greatest advert of 2023 so far. They don’t speak a word and they don’t feature a single product or a restaurant.”

In the caption, she added: “GENIUS.”

Wright said he was sold on the project as soon as he saw it on paper, saying in a statement: “As soon as I read the script I was like, 'Oh, I love this song, I love this premise. This will be a lot of fun'."

Chaka Sobhani, chief creative officer at advertising company Leo Burnett UK and Global, added: "An invitation to McDonald's is an opportunity to put our responsibilities aside and enjoy a little lift. And we hope Raise Your Arches does exactly that, allowing everyone to momentarily let go of life's pressures and enjoying a Maccers.

McDonald's

"We were beyond excited to work with the brilliant Edgar Wright to bring this idea to life – from the visual look and feel he creates to what he does with music and choreography, he's got that knack of making work that grabs your attention for all the right reasons.

"We're always looking at ways to raise a smile and create big populist entertainment for Maccers and in the hands of Edgar, we hope we've created something that does both."