Work of the Week: McDonald’s simple messaging is anything but child’s play

McDonald’s Qatar’s take on kids’ birthday parties, created with Saatchi & Saatchi, gets its message across instantly, yet perfectly.

‘Your Place or Ours?’ depicts the chaotic aftermath of once idyllic Instagram-ready homes, pointing the lens at the ketchup-smeared reality that inevitably ensues.

The work frames the decision to hold a kid’s party at home as a choice between impressing fellow parents in your abode, or letting children go full batshit in a busy public space that can pretty handily absorb the noise and the mess.

McDonald’s has once again nailed the art of ‘single insight’ messaging, stretching a simple observation into relatable and comical imagery.

In fact, you only have to cast your mind back a month to see a similarly on point example, when it depicted the familiar scene of a New Year’s Day fast food binge in all its stark reality. 

The decision to narrow its lens to familiar territory for ‘Your Place or Ours?’, in this case, towards high-stress parenting solutions, reads as similarly authentic and raw.

For creatives, of course, it’s a reminder that “simple and literal” isn’t code for boring. In an era of carefully curated Pinterest boards and parental peer pressure, McDonald’s reminds us that the two don’t necessarily mix.