McDonalds burger buns campaign turns customer complaints into ads

McDonalds India is turning criticism into creative fuel by literally putting customer gripes on its burger buns. By bringing McDonalds burger complaints into the heart of a new campaign, the chain is using honest feedback as a springboard for product innovation and communication.

The latest commercial from McDonalds India shows buns toasted with lines that many quick service brands might avoid displaying in public. Phrases such as McDonalds is not filling, McDonalds burgers are so dry, and Still hungry after a McD burger appear clearly branded on top of the burgers in the film.

Instead of defending itself against these remarks, the chain presents them as the starting point for two menu additions. The Big Yummy Cheese Burger and the Big Yummy Chicken Burger are positioned as direct responses to the concerns voiced by guests. The film also marks the first time these products are shown in restaurant settings rather than in isolated product focused visuals, giving viewers a sense of scale, appetite, and on ground availability.

In the spot, Swarup Solgaonkar, general manager of menu and product development at McDonalds India, underlines the listening approach with the line You said it; we made this. The burgers are currently available in the west and south markets, reinforcing the regional focus of the new range.

The campaign arrives at the end of an especially active year for McDonalds in these regions. In July, the brand tapped into India’s growing interest in protein by adding a 5 gram vegetarian protein slice at a price of Rs 25. The move acknowledged a nutrition gap in many vegetarian diets while staying within an affordable range.

A meat based equivalent, the brand notes, would have raised questions about overlap within the menu and would likely have appealed to a relatively small base of Indian diners. Cold cuts remain a niche choice in the country, which makes a vegetarian protein slice a more inclusive innovation.

Around the same period, McDonalds also tried to sharpen its role as a social hangout. The campaign Come for food, Stay for the mood depicted the chain rescuing an evening for concertgoers after a last minute cancellation, suggesting that a simple meal can help salvage the day.

Whether a McAloo Tikki with a Coke or a McChicken with a Fanta Float can restore McDonalds to full it status is still uncertain. What the recent work does make clear is intent. By putting critical lines on buns, adding a protein focused slice, and foregrounding mood in its storytelling, McDonalds is sending a consistent signal of responsiveness and relevance to an audience that is quick to react and quick to move on.

Follow Marketing Moves on Instagram and Facebook for industry insights, strategy breakdowns, and brand transformation stories.