McDonald's Says Keep Your 'Eyes on the Fries' (Just Not *Those* Fries)

On a long road trip, or when you are simply on the go, you might all of a sudden, with no warning, feel your tummy grumble. And look at that, a McDonald’s appears on the side of the road.

You stop by. Buy your burger and fries. Then, you go go go again. As you start driving, you look down and start to eat those yummy fries. And suddenly there is another car in front of you that wasn’t there a second ago.

Research says 40 percent of McDonald’s meals sold in Norway are bought through a drive-through, indicating that many people are likely eating while behind the wheel. But eating and driving can lead to serious accidents, which jis why McDonald’s Norway just launched a road safety campaign. 

In ads from Nord DDB Oslo, drivers are encouraged to keep their “eyes on the fries”—i.e., the yellow lines on the road, not the golden delicious fries resting on their passenger seat.

The brief for the campaign was simple: Get french fry lovers to stop eating McDonald’s while driving, whiole also reminding people that, during the pandemic, McDonald’s drive-throughs provide convenience.

“The pandemic had struck us all, and McDonald’s knew that people would be moving from their restaurants to their drive-through,” says Aleksander Hetland, client service director at Nord DDB. “So they wanted to remind people that McDonald’s is a safe and convenient place to visit at any time.” 

“Yellow road markings are a common sight on Norwegian roads, and the idea started with the creatives thinking about how they resemble McDonald’s fries,” says Hetland. “It’s common knowledge that inattention behind the wheel can lead to dangerous situations. So a reliant and safe driver should always keep their eyes on the road, or their eyes on the fries. It immediately felt like a clever slogan when McDonald’s also could take ownership of something people see every time they get behind the wheel.” 

The agency says the campaign has been a great success.

“The reception has been overwhelming, to be honest,” says Hetland. “We’re not used to international coverage and recognition from advertising outlets, the DDB network and McDonald’s globally. We’re thrilled!”

The campaign even extends to stickers on to-go bags.

“The stickers on the take-away bags will be a mainstay for the foreseeable future. This means every single meal served through McDrive will come with a reminder for drivers to keep their eyes on the fries,” says Hetland.

CREDITS

Aleksander Hetland: Client Service Director
Gro Marwold: Head of Account Management
Torstein Skogedal: Creative
Thomas Eltvik: Creative
Jens Østrem: Creative
Ingrid Hvidsten: Creative
Morten Vikanes: Designer / Motion Graphics
Mats Anderson: Designer