Best McDonald’s TV Adverts
Whether it’s for Happy Meals, the Big Mac or Ronald himself, you know about McDonald’s. You’re probably already humming the jingle as you read this, aren’t you? Over the years Maccies has cranked out so many catchy adverts to advertise limited edition burgers, that iconic breakfast or just the beloved fast food brand itself.
Here are some of our favourite McDonald’s TV adverts from over the years – fair to say we’ve been lovin’ them…
Raise Your Arches, 2023
Following in the footsteps of that famous Cadbury’s advert from years ago, for this year’s McDonald’s advert eyebrows are the star of the show. Set to catchy music, the advert shows two colleagues silently signal to each other – via a couple of strategically raised eyebrows and a familiar ‘M’ drawn on a yellow post-it – that they fancy a Maccies lunch.
Next thing you know, their entire office building – from bored looking clerks to the cleaners in the lobby – are marching towards those famous golden arches to get their lunchtime Happy Meal.
Breakfast is Back, 2020
The McDonald’s breakfast is a thing of beauty – a true national treasure and saviour of many a hungover morning across the country. During those early days of Covid-19 lockdown, we all found ourselves without our conveniences and treats we’d become accustomed to, and the McDonald’s breakfast was hugely missed.
This short, simple advert was released in the summer of 2020 to announce the return of the McMuffin and bring some much-needed joy back into our lives. The ad is set to the dulcet tones of Tony Hadley with Spandau Ballet’s True, and features slow motion shots of all our favourite breakfast components being made. The combination of egg and sausage in a McMuffin? Still a better love story than Twilight…
My House, My Rules, 2021
If there’s one thing you can count on, it’s that the McDonald’s advert song will be a banger – this ad promoting delivery was no exception, with a soundtrack of Tiffany’s I Think We’re Alone Now. The advert, to promote McDonald’s home delivery on Uber Eats, the brand’s app and Just Eat, shows a host of happy Maccies customers’ orders.
Because they can chow down in their own homes, the diners get to eat how they really want to. Whether it’s triple dipping sauces, piling fries on top of burgers or – worst of all – tucking into a Big Mac with a knife and fork – the ad reminds us that at its heart fast food is supposed to be fun.
Saver Menu, 2019
A constant of the late 2010s was the friendly McDonald’s voiceover introducing menu items. In a sea of TV adverts that are all bravado and style, this advert reminds us that McDonald’s is a brand that doesn’t ever take itself too seriously.
In the ad, a mum is seen busy getting her daughter ready for her swimming competition. After having her swimming cap carefully adjusted, the little girl makes her way to the edge of the pool and lines up with her competitors. The camera pans out to reveal that instead of a swim cap, she’s been dressed in a stretched out rubber glove by her thrifty mum – in honour of getting your money’s worth with the Saver Menu.
Alan Shearer, 1998
A bit of a throwback, this McDonald’s advert is one of those classic football TV ads from the 90s. The advert stars England and Newcastle star Alan Shearer, and shows him being mobbed by seas of fans everywhere he goes, desperate for his autograph.
We watch as one young fan misses out on a chance to get his hero’s John Hancock. Disappointed, he heads to his shift at McDonald’s, when one Alan Shearer strolls into the restaurant to order. The ad then shows its age a little, as Shearer asks to pay – at McDonald’s – with a cheque. Enter the opportunity for our hero to sneak his way into asking for an extra signature for his collection. So he gets an autograph, Alan gets a Big Mac, and everyone wins.
What are your favourite McDonald’s TV adverts? Let us know any we’ve missed and drop your favourites in the comments!