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  • SUB CATEGORY :
    LONG-TERM CREATIVITY
  • ENTRANT COMPANY :
    LEO KOREA, SEOUL
  • TITLE :
    LOCAL-NOMY BURGER
  • BRAND :
    MCDONALD'S
  • ADVERTISER :
    MCDONALD'S
  • AGENCY :
    LEO KOREA, SEOUL
  • CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER :
    NICOLE ROE
  • CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER :
    SOOHEE YANG
  • EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR :
    HYEAH NAHM
  • CREATIVE DIRECTOR :
    JONGBUM PARK/CHUNGMO YANG/GEUNHYE YUK/HORIM SEONG
  • ART DIRECTOR :
    JAEHO KWACK/AREUM HAN/HYESUN SHIN
  • COPYWRITER :
    WOOYEONG JEONG/WONBIN CHO/SUEMIN KIM/
    DONGKYUNG LEE
  • EXECUTIVE PRODUCER :
    KYOUNGMIN LEE
  • AGENCY PRODUCER :
    YONGKEUN JUNG
  • CLIENT SERVICE DIRECTOR :
    HYOEUN KIM
  • ACCOUNT DIRECTOR :
    DUYEON KWON/MINWOO CHO/MINJI KIM
  • ACCOUNT MANAGER :
    SUNHEE HWANG/WAN HUH/YOUNGWOO KIM/JUNGEUN SEO
  • MEDIA AGENCY :
    STARCOM KOREA, SEOUL
  • MEDIA PLANNING DIRECTOR :
    JEEHEE JUNG/AHREUM LEE/ILJUNG YOON/SOYOUNG NAM/
    KWANGMIN LEE
  • MEDIA PLANNING MANAGER :
    MOKHYE LEE/HYUNJU CHO/NAWOON KIM/HYEJUNE PARK/
    DAHEE JUNG
  • FILM PRODUCTION COMPANY :
    TOAST PRODUCTION, SEOUL/PLAN'IT PRODUCTION, SEOUL
  • DIRECTOR :
    YI YONG/DOOMAAN KIM
  • EXECUTIVE PRODUCER :
    HOJUN ROH/SUNGWON JUNG
  • FILM PRODUCER :
    NURI HONG/EUNJI LEE/HEEYOUNG KIM/
    JEONGBAE JEON/SANGHOON KWAK/YOOJEONG KIM
  • CAMPAIGN SUMMARY :
    McDonald’s Local-nomy Burger is a long-term creative campaign, designed to revitalise local farming communities and save native crops in Korea that were on the brink of being destroyed. By sourcing high-quality yet wasted native crops from farmers and transforming them into proud signature burger ingredients, the program not only boosted local economies but also established long term partnership between McDonald’s and Korean farming communities.
    By collaborating with farming regions such as Boseong, Changnyeong, Jindo, and Jinju, McDonald’s has transformed native crops like green onions, garlic, green tea, and peppers into Local-nomy Burger ingredients, achieving record-breaking sales while successfully becoming local farmers’ partners. Through storytelling that amplified farmers’ voices, songs, and cultural essences, the campaign fostered national pride and a deeper consumer connection. Its economic impact extended beyond just crop purchases, fostering sustainable growth and long-term profits for local farming communities. As an ongoing campaign, the Local-nomy Burger program continues to expand to more farming regions, helping to boost local economies and bringing farmers back to their land.
  • CREATIVITY/IDEA/INSIGHT :
    Korean farmers are destroying their native crops.
    The influx of cheap imports and changes in food preferences are pushing Korean native crops out of the market. With no buyers or markets for native crops, farmers must destroy their high-quality produce. Nationwide, an estimated 330,000 metric tons of native crops end up discarded because they cannot find buyers. Beyond the immediate financial losses, this crisis also threatens local farming communities and endangers the entire Korean agriculture.
    As a brand that cares about quality sourcing and community support, McDonald’s decided to rescue both the farmers and their crops, thereby boosting local economies. By using these overlooked resources, McDonald’s could also secure high-quality ingredients, ensuring their supply chain remains unaffected by global climate change, while simultaneously supporting local farming communities.
    We have developed a hyper-local burger program that sources native crops from Korean farming regions and builds a burger around them. By turning native crops into signature burger ingredients, the program has not only provided a reliable market for local farmers but also highlighted these high-quality yet overlooked native crops as a source of national pride. The program has ultimately established a sustainable, win-win partnership with farming communities.
  • STRATEGY :
    Local-nomy Burger : A hyper-local burger program that introduces a new burger each year customised around Korean native crops. The Local-nomy Burger program highlights farming communities by turning their native crops into signature burger ingredients that inspire pride and celebration.
    Through the annual Local-nomy Burger program, McDonald’s has demonstrated their commitment to supporting Korean farming communities and saving native crops. The campaign consistently has emphasised McDonald’s genuine dedication to mutually beneficial partnerships with local communities in Korea through every channel.
    Collaborating with farmers: We have visited farming regions to meet with local farmers and collaborated with them to craft authentic storytelling. These farmers, who have grown and harvested the new burger ingredients, have become the faces of the campaign. Their genuine energy has showcased the unique flavours of the new burgers and reinforced the campaign message.
    Capturing local spirit: To celebrate the unique identity of each Local-nomy Burger, we have incorporated the cultural essence of each local community into every campaign touchpoint. From farmers’ songs, dances, and dialects to farmers’ festive moments, our campaign films have brought these stories to life. Pop-up stores have captured the distinct vibes each farming community has and highlighted their specialty crops.
    Celebrating pride in native crops: We have elevated pride in native crops by prominently featuring the names of regions and ingredients in the new menu titles and across advertising channels. In our films, farmers have shared their pride in cultivating these crops, giving an authentic voice to their quality. This approach has not only raised awareness of local farms and crops but has also inspired consumers to feel proud that their burger purchases directly support local economies.
  • EXECUTION :
    Each year, we identified the regions where native crops were being destroyed and collaborated with local governments and farming communities, using weather and harvest data, to carefully select high-quality native crops to incorporate into Local-nomy Burgers. From Boseong Green Tea Pork Burger and Changnyeong Garlic Burger to Jindo Green Onion Burger and Jinju Pepper Burger, we have developed burgers to ensure the best balance of the distinct taste of the selected native crops, sourcing tons of native crops from each region.
    The Local-nomy Burger series served as a platform to annually introduce new native crops, enhancing McDonald's localization strategy and solidifying long-term partnerships with local farming communities.
    Real farmers who cultivated the burger ingredients became the most important ambassadors of the Local-nomy Burger, appearing in TV commercials, digital videos, and outdoor ads. Among them was a 70-year-old farmer who had never tasted a hamburger until the collaboration.
    In 2022, Boseong farmers performed a modified version of their traditional work song, the "Sururu Song," in digital video to express the burger's distinct flavour. In 2023, a farmer couple from Jindo appeared in a main film, singing the celebratory song "Well Done, Good Job."
    In urban areas, we launched pop-up stores themed around the farming regions, offering experiences of the rural lifestyles. In a remote region where there is no single McDonald's store, we opened a one-day McDonald's pop-up and hosted a special feast.
  • RESULT :
    The Local-nomy Burger campaign quickly became McDonald’s Korea’s best-selling limited-time menu item of all time, selling out 25 million Local-nomy Burgers across eight releases. Each launch sold over a million units, prompting multiple encore releases. The Changnyeong Garlic Burger sold 1.6 million units within a month, leading to an early sellout, while the Jindo Green Onion Burger sold 2.9 million units within a month, also selling out quickly. Campaign videos featuring real farmers garnered a total of 37.7 million YouTube views and 974 media articles, drawing significant attention.
    Beyond sales, the campaign’s economic impact was substantial, fostering sustainable growth and long-term profits for local farming communities. Over 800 tons of native crops were purchased, and farmers experienced transformative benefits. Jindo’s green onion income increased to 227% of pre-campaign levels, while Changnyeong’s garlic income rose to 130%. The campaign also attracted new buyers for the participating farms, creating longer-lasting economic opportunities. The campaign even inspired 70+ Korean brands to adopt Local-nomy strategies.
    McDonald’s Korea significantly enhanced its brand trust and reputation for social responsibility through long-term partnerships with local communities. The campaign earned recognitions including the Prime Minister’s Award, the Minister of Agriculture Award, the Minister of Safety Award, and Korean Product of the Year in 2023 and praised as the best practice of localised marketing by over 70 media outlets. Consumer perception also improved, with a 6-point rise in the perception of McDonald’s offering good quality food, reaching the highest in recent years, as well as an 8-point increase in reputation for social responsibility, and a 5.4-point growth in brand preference.
  • ENTRANT MUST CLEARLY INDICATE HOW SUSTAINED BRAND EFFECTIVENESS WAS
    ACHIEVED AS PART OF A LONGER TERM
    CAMPAIGN :
    Over the past 3 years, McDonald’s has successfully partnered with farming communities in regions such as changnyeong, boseong, jindo, and jinju, transforming native crops into hero burger ingredients. By continuously spotlighting native crops, the program has built a sense of pride in korean agriculture while providing local farmers with long-term economic opportunities. each local-nomy burger launch has created remarkable impact, with repeated consumer demand resulting in multiple re-launches.
    This program has created lasting economic impact by helping farmers reduce crop waste, attract new buyers, and increase revenues. At the same time, McDonald’s has secured high-quality ingredients and strengthened its reputation for sustainability and community support. The local-nomy burger program is an ongoing initiative, with mcdonald’s already working on the next releases for upcoming years, extending its impact to new farmers and crops.
  • URL 1 :
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7uEiZ4oTQc
  • URL 2 :
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpGBpgqnOxE
  • URL 3 :
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEUysI5DYVg
  • URL 4 :
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9A0U4E-y-I
  • URL 5 :
    https://www.youtube.com/shorts/R5iPcir-hEw