Changing perception of the ‘McJob’

Background

McDonald’s is one of the most progressive employers in the UK, offering their 85,000 employees opportunities to learn and work with them throughout their careers – offering qualifications from apprenticeships to foundation degrees.

However many people still hold a negative (and outdated) perception of McDonald’s as an employer as well as of the people who work there.

Our challenge was to bridge the gap between reality and perception: by developing a campaign that presented the real facts and made a negative opinion seem unappealing. Providing fuel for reappraisal to those who are undecided and sceptical about McDonald’s as an employer.

The campaign stars McDonald’s employees out of uniform and out of their restaurants, thereby removing the physical barriers between people’s prejudices and the real people behind the uniform. An online film was central to the campaign strategy, enabling the message to reach wider, non-user groups. The film features Crew Member Elisha as she travels the UK along with a film crew (also made up of McDonald’s employees) finding out what the people of Britain think of McDonald’s employees - supporting this was a range of press, poster and online activity targeted at both consumers and key opinion formers such as teachers.