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More toys are now sold to adults than to kids. Gen Alpha has become a generation of little consumers. The only ones benefitting from this toddler-to-consumer pipeline are corporations.

Following the success of last year’s ‘World Menu Heist’, Leo UK and McDonald’s are back with an even bigger operation, bringing nine menu items from eight countries to the UK and Ireland.

First launched by Leo UK in 2025, ‘World Menu Heist’ was built on a simple fan truth: for years, McDonald’s fans had taken to social media to share their envy that some of the brand’s most-loved menu items were not available in the UK. Leo UK turned that global food FOMO into a heist, bringing international favourites home. The platform was adapted by McDonald’s markets around the world, with over fourty markets running their own heist.

This year, Leo UK and McDonald’s used social listening to identify fans’ most-wanted menu items and turn them into the targets of a new global operation. The haul features nine products from eight countries; the biggest number of new items McDonald’s UK has launched within a single campaign. These include Germany’s Big Rösti, Canada’s Maple & Cheddar Chicken and China’s Szechuan Sauce.

The campaign is fuelled by creators acting as ‘the insiders’ and amplified by partners acting as ‘the reporters’, letting fans participate in the heist through classified intel, creator content and real-time updates. From launch, a LADbible partnership will see a former detective analyse the hero film for clues about the heist.

Inspired by classic heist films, the campaign unfolds across five stages: Plan, Execute, Plot Twist, Execute and Dispose. It follows the McDonald’s crew as they track down fans’ most-wanted products, steal them from around the world and bring them home. 

The campaign launches with the first of two 30-second hero films created by Leo UK on 22 September. The first spot follows the crew securing and transporting McDonald’s goods from around the globe before a golden McDonald’s parachute carries the haul to safety. The film is supported by 10-second spots and dedicated McDelivery creative. The second 30-second film will follow the ‘plot twist’ on 20 October.

The golden vault idea extends across OOH advertising, where the international products sit on solid-gold vaults like valuable pieces of loot. The entire in-restaurant experience is re-designed to let fans participate in the heist, with hero stunts including a golden parachute resting across the Golden Arches, as if the haul has just landed.

Hannah Pain, Marketing and Menu Director at McDonald’s UK, states, “Our fans are very good at telling us which McDonald’s products they want us to bring home next, so this year we listened. But every good heist has a plot twist, so watch this space. We may not be finished yet.” 

On 25 September, media and creators will be invited to an immersive London event set inside the secure vault where the stolen menu items are being kept. Guests will taste the menu, explore the heist world and co-create content to share across their channels.

Launching on 22 September, the eight-week campaign is extended from five weeks in 2025 and will run across TV, cinema, out-of-home advertising, social, radio, CRM, partnerships, activations and events.

Jason Keet and James Hodson, Creative Directors at Leo UK, adds, “McDonald’s fans gave us the targets. We just planned the heist. That is what fan-fuelled creativity means to us at Leo UK: listening to what people genuinely want and turning it into an idea everyone can enjoy. After last year’s campaign travelled around the globe, we knew the next heist had to go bigger. More loot, more accomplices and a twist halfway through. It would have been criminal not to.”

The campaign was created by Leo UK for McDonald’s, with Leo UK leading creative, digital and social. Media planning and buying was handled by OMD. PR, events and influencer activity were handled by Red Consultancy. Social partnerships were handled by LADbible. CRM was handled by TMW, digital activation by TMS, and POP and in-restaurant communications by Linney.

“If you’re a homeowner in Connecticut still warm from the last golden days of summer, there’s a good chance you haven’t given much thought to the cold temps that are right around the corner!” notes Decker SVP Strategy, Andrew Kesin.

Unfortunately, that’s all Old Man Winter has been thinking about.

In a new campaign from Connecticut EnergyMarketers Association (CEMA) and Decker in conjunction with National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA), Old Man Winter is getting ready to unleash absolute freezing temps. His gym is frozen, just like his soul. And he won’t give a second thought to driving up residents’ heating bills. While Old Man Winter becomes a fully-realized brand character, the message sent to residents in Connecticut is clear. It’s time to prepare for colder temperatures with Bioheat® Fuel, a cost-effective, reliable and environmentally friendly home heating solution.

For CEMA, the campaign uses humor and an unexpected character to remind homeowners that preparing for winter also means thinking about how they heat their homes. 

Chris Herb, President, CEMA states, “Winter sneaks up on us all, and this campaign is a great reminder that Bioheat is an environmentally friendly way to heat your home when the weather turns cold.  Just over half of homes in Connecticut rely on Bioheat to stay warm, so this humorous consumer awareness campaign is an effective way to show homeowners that the fuel they use is taking care of their family and the environment around them.”

The creative team took the familiar idea of Old Man Winter and gave him a decidedly unconventional personality.  

Dom DeLoya, Creative Director, Decker, adds, “You know an idea is worth pursuing when it’s this effortlessly memorable. Personifying winter as a geriatric gym bro who’s training with the sole purpose to wreak absolute havoc on your heating bill was conceptually sharp and absurd in the best ways. We wanted to create something people would laugh at but also pay attention to. And while Old Man Winter may not have the warm heart and soul of Rocky, he still has the same no-quit attitude we gravitate toward.”

The “Old Man Winter” campaign launched in September  and is running on Connected TV, Social, and Digital channels across Connecticut.

 

CREDITS:

SVP Strategy: Andrew Kesin

The One Club for Creativity inducted the latest esteemed group of legends in advertising, design, and education into the prestigious Creative Hall of Fame at a gala black-tie ceremony last week at Capitale in New York.

The evening also included Apple as the first brand to be inducted into the newly established Brand Hall of Fame.

Formed in 1961, the Creative Hall of Fame has a rich heritage of honoring the lifetime achievements of creative luminaries, including Walt Disney, Andy Warhol, Annie Leibovitz, Gordon Parks, and others.

This year’s illustrious inductees are as follows.

Creative Hall of Fame

• Rosie Arnold, one of the most awarded art directors in British advertising history, spent more than three decades shaping iconic work at BBH and championing creative excellence throughout the industry.
• Janet Champ, Wieden+Kennedy copywriter behind Nike’s groundbreaking “If You Let Me Play” campaign, transformed how brands communicate with women through work rooted in truth, empathy, and cultural impact.
• John C Jay, a visionary creative leader whose influence spans retail, advertising, fashion, and culture, helped shape brands including Nike and Uniqlo while pioneering a new model of culturally driven creativity.
• Caroline R. Jones, formerly of J. Walter Thompson, BBDO, Caroline Jones Advertising, Zebra Associates, and Mingo-Jones, trailblazing copywriter, the first black female vice-president at a major agency.
• Piyush Pandey, widely regarded as the father of modern Indian advertising at Ogilvy, transformed the industry by bringing the language, humor, and humanity of everyday India into the heart of brand storytelling. Accepting was his brother Prasoon Pandey, celebrated ad creative and film director.  
• Joyce King Thomas, the creative force behind McCann’s iconic “Priceless” campaign for Mastercard, helped redefine emotional storytelling in advertising while becoming one of the industry’s most respected creative leaders and mentors.

Educators Hall of Fame

• Michael Conrad, former Global CCO at Leo Burnett Worldwide and co-founder of the Berlin School of Creative Leadership, helped shape generations of creative leaders while elevating standards across the global advertising industry.

Brand Hall of Fame

• In recognition of 50 years of design, branding, and communications innovation and leadership, Apple has been selected as the first brand to be inducted into the newly established Brand Hall of Fame.  Apple cofounder Steve Jobs was inducted into the Creative Hall of Fame in 2012.  Accepting was Tor Myhren, Apple Vice President of Marketing Communications.    

Background

Every two years, creatives and educators are nominated for the Creative Hall of Fame by The One Club membership, while brands are shortlisted based on over 100 years of global One Show and Art Directors Club ADC Annual Awards competition wins.  

Candidates go through a voting process involving past Creative Hall of Fame inductees and The One Club’s National and International Board of Directors.  The next public call for nominations will open in the summer of 2027.

Criteria for being considered for the Creative Hall of Fame is three-fold: impact of their body of work, influence they’ve had on the industry, and inspiration on the next generation of creative leaders.

More information can be found on the Creative Hall of Fame website.

ABOUT THE ONE CLUB FOR CREATIVITY

The One Club for Creativity – home of The One Show, the global Art Directors Club ADC Annual Awards, Art Directors Club of Europe (ADCE) awards, Type Directors Club TDC competition and scholarships,  ADC Young Guns, Young Ones Student Awards, Next Creative Leaders, ONE Creator Lab, WAATBP Essentials career fair, Portfolio Night, Creative Week, and more – is the world’s foremost non-profit organization whose mission is to support and celebrate the success of the global creative community. Revenue generated from entries to its global awards shows goes back into the industry to fund programs that support industry access, creative education, professional development, and enhancement of creative careers around the world.

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