The new campaign has been created by Leo Burnett and will feature Ronald McDonald. It shows the clown participating in sports such as diving, swimming and synchronised swimming. They will be shown worldwide later this summer during the Olympic Games, which begins in Athens in 51 days' time.
McDonald's executives were in Cannes from around the world to join Larry Light, chief marketing officer at McDonald's, who said that they would be studying trends and getting inspiration from other people's campaigns during the festival.
Light said it was part of the fast food giant's marketing strategy and its desire to attract and develop the best possible talent to help create world-class advertising.
"We are committed to seeking and sharing ideas across borders and speaking to our customers with one brand voice and one brand message. The Cannes Festival will allow us to further this philosophy in a meaningful way by interacting with the best creative minds from around the world," Light said.
John Montgomery, executive creative director at Leo Burnett, said the new ads showcased the "forever young" spirit of McDonald's.
"These humorous Ronald McDonald ads showcase the 'forever young, forever fun' spirit of McDonald's. McDonald's new brand direction and 'freedom within a framework' approach have allowed us to create fresh, relevant and breakthrough advertising," he said.
The company will also unveil a new campaign featuring the tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, as part of its global push to encourage people to have more active lifestyles in the wake of fears about the problem of obesity.
If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the .