Ad Of The Month

One of McDonalds’ regional traditions in South-East Asia its Prosperity Burgers – beef, fish or cheese steak in a long sesame seed bun. They go on sale only between December and February, to celebrate Christmas, Western New Year and Lunar New Year. The lines are exclusive to SE Asian markets, and vary a little between each of them. So do the local adverts. So, for instance, the Thai 2021 Prosperity Burger ad took a comedy approach, but this Indonesian example opts instead to tell a family story.

The Prosperity Burger range gives McDonalds permission to make commercials talking about hope, generosity and family, and this one touches on them all. It follows a mother and son who run a small roadside convenience stall, selling minor essentials to passing travellers. It’s a tough way to make a living, particularly with the Covid-19 pandemic driving visitors down.

But while the mother acknowledges times are hard, she also maintains her generous spirit – we see her give away a plastic raincoat and a facemask to travellers who need them. She believes sharing spreads good in the world, and so he’s happy to share her favourite meal with her – a Prosperity Burger, of course.

It’s an ad that keeps things short, simple and realistic. McDonalds isn’t presenting itself here as a glamorous option but instead as an affordable treat. Rather than spend 30 seconds shouting about its new line, the brand is showing that it understands the hopes, fears and kind hearts of its customers in Indonesia who have lived through a difficult year. This empathic approach lifts it to a strong 4.4-Star score, and an Exceptional short-term Spike score, though the low-key role for the brand means it only scores Modest Brand Fluency.