For the first time, McDonald’s has officially launched its fan-created menu items, including the Surf N’ Turf, the Chicken Cheeseburger and the TikTok viral Espresso Milkshake.
The campaign is inspired by the universal fan truth that for decades, customers have speculated about whether a McDonald’s Secret Menu actually exists. Still, it remained an urban legend and has never been officially confirmed by the brand.
The fast food chain’s ad agency, Leo Burnett UK, quietly fueled speculation from early December, leaving cryptic clues across social media. Messages confirming its existence were hidden in other McDonald’s posters and creators leaked insider information. In restaurants, kiosks and screens glitched briefly to reveal a secret glimpse of the menu to customers, as well as in CRM and on hidden locations, such as the top of bus shelters, sparking online conversation.
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As of today, an official corporate announcement confirming the Secret Menu’s existence will be released on TV, radio and social.
“We’ve kicked off 2026 with a campaign that playfully celebrates the urban legend of The Secret Menu,” said Ben Fox, senior vice-president and chief marketing officer at McDonald’s UK & Ireland.
“By tapping into a discussion that’s been brewing for years, we’ve got social media buzzing with campaign elements that have been shrouded in secrecy, officially bringing The Secret Menu to life, with weirdly good products built by the fans for the fans.”
The paid media approach plays with the paradox of a secret – media placements that are somewhat hidden, creating a powerful desire to share the Secret Menu. OMD UK collaborated with the Metro to deliver the first-ever cover wrap that does not feature the Metro masthead. Without the masthead, the paper appears to be a tantalising classified document featuring secret documentation about the menu items.
In its outdoor push, a self-destructing billboard will appear at Westfield Pump Station in London, showing McDonald’s ‘Secret Menu’ poster being shredded. Lenticulars and discreetly placed ads on bus shelter roofs will reveal the Secret Menu. Maintaining the classified nature of the campaign, direct message takeovers on Snapchat will launch the campaign straight into users’ chat feed and Reddit users will be asked not to share or repost content.
Andrew Long, executive creative director, Leo UK, added: “The Secret Menu has been part of McDonald’s fandom for decades. Whispered about, speculated on, stitched on TikTok, but never officially confirmed… until now. For the first time ever, we’re transforming this niche cultural conversation into a full-scale food event that every fan can join in with. What a way to start the year.”
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Leo Burnett is a communications agency powered by its HumanKind operating system, with the belief that creativity, data and technology work together to transform...