McDonald’s celebrates the power of imagination in Christmas ad

McDonald’s is celebrating the power of imagination in its Christmas ad, which sees a reindeer brought to life by a young girl’s imagination.

‘Archie the Reindeer’ tells the story of a young girl called Ellie who tries to play reindeers with her older sister. When her sister tells her she is too old to play, disappointed Ellie goes to the garden where she meets Archie the Reindeer.

The two begin to play and when Ellie runs out of reindeer treats to feed Archie, the whole family set off to McDonald’s to buy more.

At the drive-thru, Ellie’s Dad orders reindeer treats, and the scene switches from animation to real life, where we discover that Archie is in fact Ellie’s dog dressed up in a tutu and reindeer antlers.

McDonald’s UK and Ireland marketing director, Ben Fox, says: “We’re celebrating the magic of Christmas through the eyes of Ellie, an imaginative little girl, in an advert which illustrates scenes recognised by parents across the country, as the whole family comes together to get Reindeer ready.”

The advert, created by Leo Burnett London, follows on from its previous #ReindeerReady campaigns. The reindeer treats will be on sale in McDonald’s over the festive season, while the fast food chain is planning a series of giveaways, festive menu items and digital experiences to further engage customers.

Fox adds: “We’re proud of the role we play in getting the nation Reindeer Ready each Christmas and this year is no exception.”

McDonald’s has created a Reindeer Ready digital hub where consumers can enter a competition to win one of 2,000 McDonald’s Christmas jumpers,  inspired by their festive cups.

The brand is also producing an Archie the Reindeer storybook based on the ad, available in ebook, audiobook or physical form, which can be ordered on the hub. There will also be Reindeer Ready Live, an augmented reality tool which allows parents to share with their children the magical moment Father Christmas’ reindeer enters their home at Christmas.

The brand is also creating a Snapchat filter that transforms the user and their dog into a reindeer. Snapchat filters are also available for customers visiting McDonald’s restaurants.