McDonald’s

In October 2023, for a limited time, McDonald’s introduced the Sweet & Spicy Jam sauce and the Mambo sauce to drive penetration and incremental traffic to restaurants, particularly among young Asian American consumers aged 18–34 and encourage them to re-experience their favorite menu items with these new flavors. The campaign was inspired by the deep connection Asian American consumers have with food and cultural authenticity, recognizing that sauces play an essential role in elevating everyday meals. By launching these new flavors, we blended familiarity with discovery, creating a fresh way for consumers to engage with McDonald’s classics.

To bring this idea to life, we partnered with Yami, a trusted online grocery platform among Asian American foodies, allowing us to meet consumers where they already shop. Through a multimedia approach that combined in-culture digital media with an innovative delivery box takeover, we created multiple meaningful touchpoints. We transformed Yami delivery boxes into giant McDonald’s sauce packages with peelable stickers—recreated the excitement of opening a new sauce for the first time, turning a routine unboxing moment into a memorable and shareable brand experience.

The campaign’s success was driven by its ability to merge cultural relevance with creative innovation. By tapping into authentic behaviors and platforms that Asian American consumers trust, we were able to foster genuine engagement and inspire product trial. More than just representation, this campaign exemplified inclusive marketing by embedding cultural nuance into every aspect of the strategy, from media placements to creative execution, ultimately strengthening McDonald’s connection with a diverse and influential audience.

The campaign results were remarkable. The hero banner on Yami’s digital platform generated 2.5 million impressions, reaching a broad audience of potential consumers. The campaign also achieved an exceptional 1.51% overall CTR (297i) for the partnership, indicating strong interest and engagement from the target audience.