McDonald's Billboard Tells Time With Sun Dial

mcdonalds_sundial.gif

Just when we thought there were no new ideas, Leo Burnett, with the help of an engineer, designed a billboard in Chicago for McDonald's which acts as a sun dial to create a shadow of the McDonald's arches over a different breakfast food for each hour of the morning. Of course, someone will now leave a comment saying this has been done somewhere else before unfairly labeling Leo Burnett a copy cat.

Written by Steve Hall    Comments (16)     File: Brands, Good, Outdoor     Jul-12-06  
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Comments

Very cool.

But regarding your "unfairly labeling Leo Burnett a copy cat"; what if someone HAD done this before? How would that person feel when he or she sees the idea recycled (note I didn't say stolen)? Believe me, it really sucks when a CD looks at your book and claims you ripped-off an idea, when in reality your ad was produced five years prior.

Just saying.

Posted by: Bob on July 12, 2006 11:44 AM

Leo Burnett is a copy cat. :) Or at least not the first to use shadows on a billboard to help tell the story. Here's another cool example:

http://www.coloribus.com/blog/?p=167

Posted by: Reid Sorenson on July 12, 2006 12:20 PM

Lets see here, where is the board in Chicago? Do I as a scared little driver have time to even look at the thing, I do notice that the shadow is covering up some thing. What do the numbers mean, is it a clock (sun dial?) What it trying to tell me in three seconds or less. BK is just around the corner I'll stop there.

Posted by: roy on July 12, 2006 12:37 PM

Of course you don't, Roy. You know these things are created only to win press and awards rather than actually get people to spend money at McD's. And Bob, since, as Reid points out, there just aren't any new ideas anymore, we should just all agree to be n ice to the copycats.:-)

Posted by: Steve Hall on July 12, 2006 02:15 PM

But Steve I love to pick on the big shots! Why didn't they at least put "Hungry?" or the like on the thing some place so I had some Idea of what it was all about? It would, if I noticed it at least make me look at my watch and shout "Is It That Late?"

Posted by: Roy on July 12, 2006 02:36 PM

The answer to your question, Roy, of 'what is it trying to tell me in three seconds or less' is this: "McDonalds is cool".

Affinity is very important. (People are more likely to eat somewhere they think is cool than somewhere they think is lame.)

Posted by: The Scamp on July 13, 2006 05:42 AM

The answer to your question, Roy, of 'what is it trying to tell me in three seconds or less' is this: "McDonalds is cool".

Affinity is very important. (People are more likely to eat somewhere they think is cool than somewhere they think is lame.)

Posted by: The Scamp on July 13, 2006 05:42 AM

My five year old grand-sons think McD's is cool. Grandma dislikes the place and it's food. I haven't found anyone around me as of yet that can figure the thing out. The common statement is "I don't get it." The demo I asked Ages 13, 16, 34,35, 50's. If it doesn't sell, it's not creative!!

Posted by: roy on July 13, 2006 09:18 AM

What's not to get? It illustrates that there's a McDonald's product to eat at all hours of the morning/day.

Posted by: Steve Hall on July 13, 2006 10:14 AM

Steve if you have to explain it to your audience, or they can't figure it out with one glance you have lost. The postive side of the board is that even my five year old grand-sons will know what the logo means. For my buck it is a piss poor board regardless of who is involved in the project.

Posted by: Roy on July 13, 2006 10:57 AM

I'm not explaining it and neither is McDonald's. it is what it is. Just like all ads. Some people will get it, some won't. Some people will like it, some won't. I happen to get it and like it. No advertising effort is a 100 percent success.

Posted by: Steve Hall on July 13, 2006 11:12 AM

Steve your right some people will get it. Likely everyone will know it's a McDonalds board. Likely all humans know McDonalds means junk food (and coffee.) The good sideopf the effort. On the other hand the board (depending where the thing really stands) wants me to process a lot of information in a very short amount of time. To me you could have done a more effective job with just the logo and "McD's any time of day)I can process that in three seconds or less.

Posted by: roy on July 13, 2006 11:19 AM

Steve sounds like a DM creative or a clueless client. Everybody knows McD has B L & D. So, Leo B did a great job at:

1. OOH that draws attention (unique creative)
2. OOH that is entertaining and interesting (affinity w/ brand)
3. OOH that get PR notice (hopefully more than adrants)
4. OOH that is memorable (drove by a Mcd's yesterday and thought of the billboard and told friends in the car about it.

K


Posted by: elf on July 15, 2006 09:03 PM

Hi everybody.
I'm an Italian student and I'm carrying out a survey on visual communication in advertising.
I've found this image in the net but I don't know when and in which countries it has been published. (I am pretty sure I've never seen in Italy) Can anyone hep me with this?
And do you think it's convincing in its aim?
I apologize in advance for any language error!
Thank you for you help.

www.spot-and-go.com/images/mc_donalds.jpg

Posted by: valentina on March 9, 2007 10:27 AM

Um, this is good. And remember, people don't rush by in rush hour in Chicago. IN fact, you might see it long enough to see the shadow move and item or two.

Posted by: Whome? on May 10, 2007 07:03 PM

Um, this is good. And remember, people don't rush by in rush hour in Chicago. IN fact, you might see it long enough to see the shadow move and item or two.

Posted by: Whome? on May 10, 2007 07:04 PM

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