McDonald's set about transforming the public image of its employees in a campaign created by VCCP. It had become clear that many customers harboured deep-seated prejudice against McDonald's employees and this was having a negative impact on internal employee engagement. To build staff engagement, the challenge was to transform the public's view of working at McDonald's.
The Meet our People campaign challenged the existing perceptions of McDonald's as 'dead end' and of its employees as unskilled and ill-educated individuals with no ambition or prospects. The campaign aimed to humanise the employees and show the opportunities and training available for those working for the chain.
McDonald's employees became the stars of the campaign. A competition was held to find the face of the campaign and casting identified those best-suited to deliver the messages. An online film featuring crew member Elisha was at the heart of the campaign. The film was supported by a four-week broadsheet press campaign showcasing McDonald's support for its employees, a four-week digital display campaign, and the redesign of the McDonald's 'people' website.
The film received 150,000 views on YouTube. Site traffic to the people section of the website increased by 47% during the project. Meet Our People was the first McDonald's employer campaign to receive 100% positive or neutral tone in broadcast, print and mainstream online media.
McDonald's was a clear winner in the category, with judges commenting that the campaign was 'head and shoulders above the rest'.
Also shortlisted for Employee engagement
- Johnson & Johnson, Benecol, Project Beryl
- Kimberly-Clark, Kleenex, Andrex, DryNites, Little Swimmers, Pull-Ups
- Aviva; Burness