McD's Intros 'Burgercon'

NEW YORK An interactive push from Tribal DDB in Chicago for McDonald's mixes the chest bumping of competitive eating with the high-pitched vocals of '80s glam-metal music.

The goal is to imbue a visit to the local McDonald's with the aura of a Motley Crüe concert, said Kevin Flatt, agency ecd.

"They [McDonald's] wanted something with a sense of an underground event," said Flatt. "It's not so much that we need to tell people about burgers, but to tell them what an event it is to go to McDonald's and have a burger."

The campaign, which encourages young men to "challenge" others to meet and have a burger, consists of pre-roll video ads, banners and the Web site mcdonalds.com/burgers. Elements will appear on TMZ.com, nba.com and Yahoomusic.com through the end of July. Spending was undisclosed.

In the 15-second pre-roll designed to run before Internet video content, a singer yelps "Burgercon!" as a Big Mac and Quarter Pounder with Cheese collide before an image of an electric guitar sporting angel wings. Lines such as "Where burgers and people and burgers come together" reinforce the concept.

The same style carries over to the Web site, wit the voice of the singer hidden in unexpected places. (Hint: Check out the disclaimer.)

When certain areas of the site, such as the top titles, are moused over, the cursor icon changes into what most people would think of as the devil sign—the back of a hand with the pinkie and forefinger extended—made famous at rock concerts the world over. Tribal, as well as McDonald's, insists with a straight face that this gesture is actually called the "rock lock".

"Summers are all about fun and burgers are all about fun," said Douglas Freeland, director of U.S. marketing at McDonald's. "The site is fun and exciting and helps engage people because it's unexpected."

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