McDonald’s Worldwide Conference

The Golden Arches in Barcelona

People that have worked with us know that we know a thing or two about doing things on a massive scale. Following our successful collaboration on their Investor Day, we partnered with McDonald’s for its most important event of the year: The McDonald’s Worldwide Conference. Held in Barcelona, this event was to be the gathering spot for franchisees from around the world–arguably their biggest fans–to fully immerse themselves in the brand they love so much. More than just an opportunity to create a location, we saw this as a challenge to create a destination; to bring the well-beloved brand to life in a fresh way and show its track record of celebrating and investing in its rich history, regardless of language.

To do this, we aimed to transport people back to the time that made them fall in love with McDondald’s in the first place from the very moment they stepped into the conference. For the Entry Gateway, situated at the bottom of the escalators, we leaned into whimsy, enlarging the scale of one of the most iconic menu items: the french fries. Illuminated by LED accents and lit up by canned lettering at the top, it was both a portal directly into the McDonald’s Universe and a photographable moment.

Guests then found themselves in a tribute to the partnership between McDonald’s and FIFA. Taking inspiration from the atmosphere of a soccer stadium, the FIFA World Cup Way was a celebration featuring a tunnel of  flags from all participating World Cup countries, logo board inspired wall sections, and a display for the iconic World Cup trophy. Guests also had a chance to win points for their favorite team in a free kick competition, where all cumulative points were displayed on a virtual leaderboard throughout the conference.

Just past the FIFA World Cup Way was the Central Plaza, the heart of the experience. This vibrant hub was designed to embody McDonald’s iconic identity with a modern twist. Guests were invited to wander through the Plaza to  discover the neighborhoods surrounding it, each with its own charm and offerings.

The first neighborhood was Hamburgurlar’s Vault. Surrounded by black and white striped walls as a callback to Hamburglar’s iconic attire, this space featured an open vault door with the character’s well-known “Robble Robble,” catchphrase, and a triptych of framed artwork that opened to reveal a stash of hamburgers, the character’s costume, and an escape ladder.  

From there guests could explore Birdie’s Hangar, a fantastical twist on an airport terminal, draped in yellow feathers. This space offered an opportunity for guests to hop in the pilot’s seat and “fly” Birdie’s single engine plane.

Hopping off that flight, guests made their way to the Grimace Lounge, a space that took it back to the disco era with purple shag carpets and curved poofs. Inspired by all of Grimace’s favorite things, this was a place to chill, check out his skateboard decks and bass guitar, and play with the interactive jukebox.

Leaving the lounge took people to the Character Garden, a place featuring a wall of the famous McDonald’s characters and tidbits that only true fans of the brand would know.

As guests left, they passed under the Hasta Pronto Exit, a bookend archway identical to the Entry Gateway this time written in Spanish, a nod to the conference’s location.  

This project was all about grounding our creative goals in McDonald’s core values of community, culture, and lore. By using older distinctive assets in a new and refreshed way, we crafted an immersive experience that brought what consumers love about McDonald’s to the community that makes it happen–the franchisees. Plaza McDonald’s was not just a collection of themed rooms but a cohesive journey that leaned into nostalgia and expanded upon the lore of the McDonald’s characters, capturing a range of emotions and solidifying the enduring appeal of the dynamic McDonald’s brand in contemporary culture.

Scope

  • Creative Technology
  • Creative Design
  • Design
  • Engineering
  • Audio / Visual Production
  • UI / UX
  • Project Management
  • Custom Fabrication
  • Interactive Installation
  • Full Service Production
  • Operation / Support