McDonald's are thought to be switching up the ubiquitous “I'm Lovin' It” theme, which has been the cornerstone of their marketing strategy since 2003. The new twist on the 11-year-old theme is thought to be the equation “Lovin' > Hatin',” with the new campaign featuring the theme set to debut early next year. The new theming aims to spread happiness in the face of internet hatred, and whilst the new push is expected to roll out on the 1st of January 2015 and include a 60-second spot during next year's Super Bowl (on the 1st of February), a spokeswoman for the fast food giant said that whilst they are “Always working on great new creative,” it is “Highly speculative and premature to talk about Super Bowl ads and future campaigns for next year.” That being said, the company has filed US federal trademark registrations for both the “Lovin' > Hatin',” equation and the phrases "Lovin' is Greater Than Hatin',” and “Lovin beats Hatin.”
The new twist on the 11-year-old theme is thought to be the equation “Lovin' > Hatin',” with the new campaign featuring the theme set to debut early next year
McDonald's – Our Food, Your Questions
Leo Burnett is thought to be the agency behind the new slogan, as it's the agency that won an agency shootout earlier this year for ideas to refresh the McDonald's brand. The agency, which is part of the Publicis Groupe, also handles children's advertising in the US (for the “Happy Meal” range) and all creative work in the UK. Other agencies handling McDonald's work worldwide include DDB, TBWA and OMD. In January this year, DDB Chicago hired away Tony Malcolm to oversee its McDonald's work. He had previously overseen the account at Leo Burnett in London.
The new slogan and ad push arrives at a time when McDonald's has posted one of its worst quarterly profit declines in years as tastes shift towards fresher and “Healthier” alternatives. Don Thompson, McDonald's chief executive, has said the company will retool its marketing to make sure it's resonating with consumers. He said their marketing approach is a “Key priority,” and that they've “Implemented a number of significant changes in the process, structure and creative direction” of the company. The first step in this redirection debuted last week in the form of a new campaign dubbed “Our Food, Your Questions,” which hopes to dispel some widely held rumours about McDonald's products.
The new slogan and ad push arrives at a time when McDonald's has posted one of its worst quarterly profit declines in years as tastes shift towards fresher and “Healthier” alternatives
McDonald's has seen many changes in its marketing ranks over recent years, with Deborah Wahl assuming the role of chief marketing officer back in March this year and Julia Vander Ploeg being named the first vice president of digital in August. Of course, such changes don't necessarily mean the burger baron is running out of steam (indeed, it spent just shy of $1 billion on ads last year in the US alone), but despite its gigantic ad budget, McDonald's advertising has fallen short in terms of effectiveness in recent months compared to close rivals such as Wendy's and Burger King. The new slant on an old slogan, could prove to be the company's saving grace, though “I'm Lovin' It” will remain the brand's global slogan for the foreseeable future.
Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and musician from Kidderminster in the UK. He tries to avoid McDonald's whenever he can, but has to admit to being a complete sucker for a Smarties McFlurry.
