This February, McDonald’s will do more than sell Big Macs; it’s going to sell them to randomly selected customers for nothing more than an act of kindness.
The activation, which was announced in the brand’s Super Bowl commercial, will take place during the first two weeks of February as an extension of the current brand refresh. In the commercial, McDonald’s employees asked patrons to pay for their food by giving a hug or by calling their mothers to say “I love you.” To supplement this experiential activation digitally, McDonald’s is stirring up social conversation with #PayWithLovin from its restaurant locations all across the country, inviting consumers to share their experiences. This commercial is the third to air since McDonald’s launched its “Lovin” branding refresh, but it will be far from the last to appeal to consumers emotionally. Whether consumers are having a laugh over the program name or genuinely engaging with the brand, this promotion illustrates how powerful friendship management can be in any branding strategy.