McDonald's Saudi's Menu-less Makeover campaign causes 37% uptick in footfall
The idea was conceptualised and executed by Leo Burnett, Dubai. The objective of the campaign was to demonstrate how consumers in Saudi Arabia know what their favourite McDonald's products are without having to look at the menu.
The campaign ran across outdoor billboards, digital channels and social media, and had an immediate impact, driving a 37 per cent increase in footfall.
Speaking about the idea, Fayrouz Hassounah, Marketing and Communications Lead, McDonald's KSA, Western and Southern Regions, and Tabuk, said, 'Over the past few years, a lot of fast-food joints have opened in Saudi Arabia offering different kinds of burgers – from the bizarre to the downright outrageous. To prove that McDonald's has been the undisputed burger choice of Saudis for more than 30 years now, we decided to remove our menu while our competitors proudly displayed theirs.'
Outdoor billboards outside the McDonald's drive-thrus displayed messages such as, 'You didn't drive all this way to experiment,' while the in-store menus that are usually displayed on the space behind the counter were replaced with a single line, 'You know what you want.'
The move took McDonald's fans by surprise but soon caught on as word spread about the Menuless Makeover of their restaurants.
Fans made a beeline outside the restaurants for a chance to record themselves inside placing their favourite orders without the help of the menu.
Additionally, the McMenuless Challenge took over social media and turned into a trend with McLovers posting videos of themselves rattling out entire menus and tagging the brand to showcase their achievement.
'When we removed the menu, we weren't taking something away — we were revealing something deeper. The simple truth is people don't need a menu at McDonald's. They already know what they're getting. It's not just a meal, it's a ritual — their go-to order is part of who they are. This campaign was about celebrating that unshakable bond between our fans and their McDonald's favorites,' Fayrouz Hassounah added.
Nadim Ghrayeb, Business Lead on McDonald's said, 'Menuless wasn't just a campaign — it was a statement. At McDonald's, our products have transcended marketing to become part of culture. You don't need a menu when your audience already knows what they love.'
CREDITS:
Client: McDonald's Saudi
Agency: Leo Burnett, Dubai
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