MANILA – As fun and heartwarming as the holidays are usually viewed, there’s still a segment of society that doesn’t necessarily look forward to the onset of Christmas. Namely the single people. After all, who doesn’t want a special someone to share the yuletide moments with? In a season that tends to pressure most people to be in a relationship, McDonald’s newest holiday anthem is a breath of fresh, independent air.
Latching on to the Filipino consumers’ sentiment that when Christmas comes around, the feeling of “Malamig ang Pasko” is often dreaded by single Pinoys, McDonald’s wanted to help remind all the single people that they can still be happy and celebrate their singlehood this Christmas season.
The “Single Bells, Keribels!” campaign by Leo Burnett Manila was launched with an online video (now with close to 4 million views!), kickstarting the Singles Pride Christmas Activation powered by McDonald’s’ all-time favorite desserts & drinks.
Inspired by the popularity of Christmas songs in the Philippines, the video is a unique rendition of the classic “Jingle Bells” Christmas carol, albeit made more fun by different people celebrating their singlehood. It’s made even more cheerful with the help of McDonald’s desserts and drinks like the best-selling Holiday McFlurry flavors (McFlurry with Sans Rival, McFlurry with Oreo Matcha, and McFlurry with Oreo), and other favorites like the McCafé Iced Coffee, Hot Fudge Sundae, and McFloat.
The campaign aims to make Christmas a reason to celebrate for everyone, even single people, through a highly-relevant sentiment motivating them to reward themselves with their favorite McDonald’s treats.
Featuring snippets of single people having the time of their lives in various ways, this fun and lighthearted video stays true to McDonald’s Love Ko ‘To catchphrase while also celebrating non-romantic relationships. After all, who needs bae when you can fill your holidays with countless adventures, try out new hobbies, enjoy your favorite desserts and drinks, and spend time with the people who truly matter?
“When we were developing this campaign, we had an intern who reminded us that indeed Christmas can be a bit traumatic for single people,” notes Raoul Panes, Chief Creative Officer, Publicis One / Leo Burnett Manila. “There’s such a thing as SMP — Samahan ng Malalamig ang Pasko. There are also nosy relatives who perpetually ask why you’re still single during family reunions. In our discussions, we realized that Christmas hits single people hard not when Jose Mari Chan starts singing his tunes, but rather it’s when Gary V lamenting the onset of the season with ‘Pasko na Sinta Ko.’”
“We felt this was very rich territory,” Panes adds. “We wanted single people to feel empowered. And we definitely didn’t want to give them another angsty, heartbreak story which everyone is now trying to milk these days. Instead, we wanted to capture the exuberance of being single. We wanted to utilize the freewheeling creative lingo of the present. And we wanted to confront ‘lamig ng Pasko’ head-on with McDo’s cold desserts and drinks. And because “jingle bells” rhymes with “single bells” and “keribels,” we thanked the heavens for our good luck!
For her part, Christina Lao, Marketing Director for McDonald’s Philippines, shares that, “We all know Christmas is big for Filipinos – always the season for ads celebrating relationships. Our agency’s (Leo Burnett) take on ‘malamig ang Pasko’ was really fresh – turning it into something to celebrate instead of something to avoid. The moment the insight and the storyboard were presented to us, we knew that this was what we want for this festive season – something fun and uplifting. Very McDonald’s. We are thrilled that it resonates with Filipinos, singles and couples alike.”
Indulge and get into the holiday spirit by heading on to McDonald’s for your well-deserved favorites like the McFlurry with Oreo Matcha, McFlurry with Sans Rival, or the classic McFlurry with Oreo! Do we hear you singing #SingleBellsKeribels?
Credits
CLIENT: MCDONALD’S PHILIPPINES
Margot Torres, EVP and Deputy Managing Director
Christina Lao, Marketing Director
Nikki Del Gallego, Product Manager
Puch Agodon, MarComm Manager
Kim Katalbas, MarComm Officer
Celine Charvet, Menu Manager
CREATIVE AGENCY: LEO BURNETT MANILA
Raoul Panes, Chief Creative Officer
Carl Urgino, Creative Director
Brian Lumanog, Senior Copywriter
Sarah Chan, Senior Art Director
Paolo Roa, Senior Art Director
Jules Tan, Creative Intern
Judy Medina, Group Account Director
Kimie Arenillo, Associate Account Director
Camille Dimaculangan, Account Manager
PRODUCTION
Steve Vesagas/Luigi Bustamante, Broadcast Producers
Joel Limchoc, Director
Film Pabrika, Video Production
Hit Productions, Audio Production
