Why Leo Burnett turned to TikTok to launch McDonald’s ‘The Big Arch’

“This is about satisfying that big burger craving,” says Andrew Long, executive creative director at Leo Burnett. “It’s a gap that’s existed on the McDonald’s menu, and that need sparked this innovation. As an agency, how often do you get the chance to launch a product that could sit alongside icons like the Big Mac and the McChicken Sandwich?”

The campaign also marks a milestone for Leo Burnett, as it is the first time the agency has worked with McDonald’s on such a global scale. As with all of its collaborations, the starting point was identifying a truth.

“Every campaign we create with McDonald’s starts with a fan truth,” Long explains. “In this case, it was the idea that sometimes you’re hungry for a McDonald’s, and other times you’re really hungry for a McDonald’s.”

The team examined how fans talk about McDonald’s in different parts of the world. In France, for example, McDonald’s is affectionately known as “McDo,” pronounced “mac-dough.” The nickname is deeply rooted in local culture, and the way fans express their craving for McDo aligned perfectly with the campaign’s core message. “We try to represent the fans,” adds Long. “And we could never say this better than our fans already said it. So as soon as we saw that, we thought that’s the heart of our idea.”

That insight comes to life in the campaign’s hero TV spot, dramatizing a moment everyone can relate to. In a quiet office, a stomach growls loudly, breaking the silence and drawing attention. The sound echoes through the space, creating awkward tension, until the hungry protagonist finally satisfies his craving with a Big Arch meal. The film was shot by American comedian and actor Eric Wareheim, known for The Office, Master of None and CeraVe’s award-winning Super Bowl spot starring Michael Cera.

“He's got his own food blog that’s got millions of Instagram followers,” says Long. “He’s obsessed with McDonald’s, he’s obsessed with eating and he’s obsessed with making people laugh. So for us, he was the perfect person to share the pen with on this.”

At the heart of the campaign lies a challenge familiar to many global brands: how to take a universal human truth and make it resonate on a local level in global markets. “We’re talking about the social mindset,” Long explains. “And social is an input into our entire creative process and not always the output. We saw loads of TikToks, which always inspire us the most, where we find our best insights.”

To better understand what fans were feeling and craving, the team turned to TikTok, where real-time, fan-driven content provided rich insight. Leo Burnett’s chief creative officer, Mark Elwood, echoes the importance of this approach, explaining how it creates a more authentic connection between the brand and its audience. “The brand’s understanding you, rather than talking at you,” he says. “That’s a really important part of our success as an agency.”

As the team explored the platform, specific patterns began to emerge. They noticed fans sharing videos of themselves ordering an extra cheeseburger alongside their main meal, or customizing their Big Macs with added lettuce, onions, or cheese. These behaviors pointed to a consistent demand for something more satisfying. One trend in particular stood out – the “cheeseburger chaser” – where customers would add a small burger on the side to fully curb their cravings.

“How do we take the truth of that and not let our advertising instincts get in the way of it,” adds Long. “Making sure that the overall takeout feels truly fan-to-fan and not brand-to-fan. That is our path into culture, and often that's where our best work comes.”