Dive Brief:
- McDonald’s is hyping up the July 10 return of the fan-favorite Snack Wrap to menus with a multichannel campaign, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
- The fast food giant will release a TV commercial that spotlights consumers’ social postings about the menu item, which was phased out nationally in 2016. The campaign also includes social posts, out-of-home ads and a Snapchat activation.
- To further build excitement, the brand launched snackwrapfiles.com, a throwback web portal that features never-before-seen and behind-the-scenes content about the Snack Wrap and its return.
Dive Insight:
Chicago-headquartered McDonald’s announced the return of the Snack Wrap with a brief press release reminiscent of fellow Chicago icon Michael Jordan’s famous fax about his return to basketball. In 1995, Jordan wrote “I’m back;” in 2025, President of McDonald’s USA Joe Erlinger wrote about the menu item, “It’s back.”
The playful, culture-minded approach appears to inform the rest of the marketing around the Snack Wrap. A microsite resembles an old-school desktop screen, complete with Snack Wrap wallpaper and several folders, including “The Fandom” (fan emails begging for the return of the item) and BTS (behind-the-scene images from a TV ad shoot). Additional folders (Promo Codes, Playlist, Merch Concepts, et cetera) are still under wraps.
The campaign includes a fan-focused TV commercial that will roll out on July 10 and social posts and high-impact OOH placements boasting the return date. In addition, a Snapchat activation includes a first-to-market Reminder Ad that lets app users opt-in to receive both in-app and push notifications timed to the return of the Snack Wrap. Plus, an augmented reality experience will turn Snaps into branded news broadcasts about the return.
The social media-heavy play connects with consumers where they have been requesting the return of the Snack Wrap. Other restaurant chains including Taco Bell and Chipotle have acknowledged and encouraged fan interaction on social media when returning items to menus. The Snack Wrap will return to participating restaurants nationwide as a permanent item in both spicy and ranch varieties.
McDonald’s longtime AOR Wieden+Kennedy New York spearheaded the effort, with creative by Golin, Agency 123, Alma, Boden, IW Group and Translation; digital marketing by Publicis Groupe; paid media by Admerasia, Publicis Groupe and Navigation Blvd; and support by additional agencies.
McDonald’s saw U.S. same-store sales drop 3.6% in Q1 2025 but has worked to overcome macroeconomic headwinds through culturally minded campaigns and a balance of value offerings and loyalty deals. The Snack Wrap campaign’s multichannel approach resembles that of McDonald’s efforts from recent years, including its celebration of Grimace’s birthday and recent tie-ups with Minecraft and Pokémon. The chain has previously marketed limited-edition fan favorites like the McRib.
