To unveil its new CBO sandwich, (chicken, bacon and onion), McDonald’s Canada kept consumers in the dark.
On Jan. 29, the fast-food chain held a VIP event for a group of McDonald’s fans it found through interactions on Twitter. The guests had received invitations for a launch party for #TheNextLegend, but weren’t told any details about the new product.
At the event, guests were treated to a cocktail reception before Chuck Coolen, McDonald’s Canada senior manager of regional marketing for Ontario, revealed the secret. Curtains rose, revealing a sit-down, upscale restaurant area, where guests were served made-on-site CBO sandwiches and fries.
“Our fans on social media are incredibly passionate and engaged to learn what’s new and upcoming for McDonald’s, so we decided to do something new for us and special for them,” said Jeanette Jones, director of external communications and social media, McDonald’s Canada. “Instead of hosting a Twitter party, we decided to recognize them with a VIP event where they would be among the first to learn about and experience the new CBO sandwich.”
Jones said the audience demographics was very broad, and included moms, students, working professionals, as well as vloggers/bloggers. “Our VIPs were our everyday McDonald’s fans on Twitter who we know are interested in what we do and what we bring to Canadians day in and day out,” she said. “They regularly engage with us as part of our community – follower numbers and Klout scores were not our focus.”
The event and social media engagement was a collaboration between McDonald’s and its PR agency, Weber Shandwick. The agency created a video about the event, which is being shared via the McDonald’s Canada Twitter handle and YouTube channel.
The launch of the CBO is also being supported TV, radio, OOH and digital. McDonald’s worked with Cossette, Tribal Worldwide and OMD on the campaign, which is currently in market.
The CBO was first launched in France in 2008. McDonald’s Canada made a few tweaks for the Canadian market, for example, it has bacon pieces instead of bacon strips.
