McDonald’s has launched a major new marketing campaign aimed at boosting trust in the brand while celebrating the role its young employees play across its restaurants.

The integrated campaign, which went live on 15 March, marks McDonald’s UK & Ireland’s biggest above-the-line investment in brand trust in recent years and will run across multiple media channels through to the end of April, before returning for a second phase this summer.

The activity focuses on highlighting the opportunities the business provides for younger workers at a time when confidence in job prospects for UK youth is widely seen to be declining.

McDonald’s is one of the UK’s largest employers of young people, with more than 100,000 staff under the age of 25 and around one in three managers also falling within that age group.

The campaign shines a spotlight on the skills young employees develop while working in restaurants, including teamwork, leadership, communication and resilience.

Filmed in a documentary-style format, the creative features real McDonald’s crew members working in their own restaurants. The films use a handheld, “fly-on-the-wall” approach to capture everyday shifts and the responsibilities young workers take on in running busy restaurant operations.

The campaign consists of four short films, each following a different crew member. Each story begins with a voiceover reflecting common stereotypes about Gen Z workers before showing the crew member disproving those assumptions through their actions on shift.

According to McDonald’s, the aim is to challenge negative perceptions of young workers while highlighting the brand’s role in developing workplace skills and career opportunities.

Ben Fox, SVP and chief marketing officer at McDonald’s UK & Ireland, said the campaign reflects the company’s long-term commitment to supporting young people.

“We often hear many unfair stereotypes about young people, but we are really proud of the young people working in our restaurants, who are fundamental to keeping them running successfully,” he said.

“A staggering one in three managers is under 25. We’re showing real crew members in real restaurant situations and letting them do the storytelling.

“The job environment for young people is tough right now, we see young people struggling with a lack of opportunity and we want to address that. We want to show everyone what it is like to work in McDonald’s, highlighting the workplace skills that can be learnt and nurtured.”

The campaign forms part of McDonald’s wider effort to reinforce its role as a major employer and skills provider for young people across the UK and Ireland.

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