Cheese at the back of a cheeseburger.
McDonald’s New Zealand is launching the cheeseburger with a mullet in a campaign via McCann, FleishmanHillard and OMD.
It began with social posts introducing the idea of adding an extra piece of cheese to the back of a cheeseburger.
On Saturday April 18, any customer who turned up to McDonald’s Penrose with a mullet received a free cheeseburger with a mullet.
And for anyone not yet rocking the mullet, on-site barbers provided a trim.
McDonald’s New Zealand marketing director, Luke Rive, said the pop-up opportunity to get your hands on the cheeseburger with a mullet was all about having a bit of fun with fans and testing ideas in real time.
“When we saw the reactions to videos on social, we thought, why not? It’s definitely tongue-in-cheek, but it’s also a fun way to bring fresh ideas to life with live trial to see how many mulleted Kiwis show up to claim their burger. It’s a fitting tribute to a discerning army of Kiwi mulleteers!”
“The mullet isn’t just a haircut – it’s an attitude. It has a proud history here, and it’s great that Macca’s can be part of this loved and debated piece of culture,” said McCann chief creative officer, Gary Steele.
“After seeing some social commentary online around the idea here, we were able to give it the tribute it deserves.
“Gen Z has taken the mullet from ‘questionable life choice’ to ‘iconic personal brand.’ It’s exactly the kind of energy we wanted for this campaign. If your haircut already says, ‘party at the back,’ why shouldn’t your cheeseburger?”
While the campaign started with social engagement with fans, it grew to include influencers, targeted OOH, and physical activation.
“Our ‘cheeseburger with a mullet’ proved to be the perfect accompaniment to an actual mullet, whether it’s a full perm mullet, a buzz mullet, or the classic westie mullet. Who knows where it will pop up next?” said Rive.
Client credits:
McDonald’s NZ
Luke Rive – Director or Director
Leigh Benvie – Head of Brand and Media Agency
Creative Agency: McCann New Zealand
PR & Experiential Agency: FleishmanHillard Aotearoa
Photography: Troy Goodall
Media Agency: OMD
