[Marketing Analysis] McDonald's X Joy: The Strategic Reason Why Vanilla Shake Became the 'Happy Snack'
Hello! Today, we'll be taking a deep dive into the "Vanilla Shake" ad campaign by [McDonald's Happy Snack X Red Velvet Joy], a prime example of F&B marketing.
This ad, featuring Red Velvet Joy, the face of McDonald's, known for her "human vitamin" and "juicy personality," goes beyond simply promoting a new menu item. It also embodies a sophisticated strategy that re-establishes the brand's image and targets a specific demographic. Let's delve into the background and strategy behind McDonald's seasonal discount platform, "Happy Snack," and why it chose Vanilla Shake and Joy.
📊 1. Campaign Overview: Reinforcing the Identity of "Happy Snack"
First, we need to understand the core of this ad: the "Happy Snack" platform. Happy Snack is a promotional event where McDonald's selects popular seasonal snacks and offers them at discounted prices all day long.
A Breakthrough in the Age of High Prices: With restaurant prices soaring to the point of coining the term "lunch inflation," McDonald's has leveraged its "value for money" strategy.
Loss Leader Strategy: McDonald's employs a classic yet powerful strategy: attracting customers with a low-priced Vanilla Shake (from the Happy Snack lineup) and then encouraging them to purchase additional items, such as burger combos.
This advertisement showcases the Vanilla Shake, a "classic" menu item, as the flagship Happy Snack, conveying the message, "Definite sweetness at an affordable price."
🍒 2. Model Strategy: Why Red Velvet's Joy?
Selecting an advertising model is the most crucial step in visualizing a brand message. McDonald's chose Joy for three main reasons.
Image Consistency (Sweet & Refreshing):
The Vanilla Shake's flavor is "sweet," and Joy's nicknames are "Human Juice" and "Human Vitamin." Joy's unique, bright, refreshing smile and bubbly energy intuitively convey the sweet and refreshing properties of the shake without any additional explanation. Consumers feel a sugar rush just by looking at Joy (transfer effect).
Retro Icon:
Joy is considered the idol who best embodies the "Newtro" (New + Retro) sensibility, as evidenced by songs like her remake album "Hello." The "Milkshake" is a retro menu item that symbolizes American diner culture of the 1950s and 1960s. Joy's retro fashion sense and the classic feel of the Vanilla Shake combine to create a hip, yet timeless, mood.
Popularity:
Joy, who enjoys high recognition across all age groups through entertainment programs as well as idol fandom, fits the popular targeting of "Happy Snack," which aims to be easily accessible to everyone.
🎯 3. Target Analysis: Targeting Generation MZ and the Jalpa Generation
This ad clearly targets Generation MZ (Millennials + Generation Z) and Generation Jalpa (Generation Z + Alpha).
Pursuing Value for Money (Psychological Satisfaction): For the strapped 1020 generation, Happy Snack's affordable price lowers the barrier to entry. However, they dislike the idea of cheap things being expensive. Joy, the wannabe icon, positions this affordable snack as a "trendy dessert."
Instagrammability: The vibrant colors and Joy's styling in the ad capture the tastes of the younger generation, who love to take and post photos on social media. Even a single shake stimulates the desire to eat prettily.
Sohwakhaeng (Small but Certain Happiness): We delve into the lifestyle of young people who seek to lift their spirits with a sweet shake on a tiring afternoon from school or work without spending a fortune.
🎨 4. Visual & Concept: The Essence of Color Marketing
Color dominates the commercial.
Red & White: McDonald's brand color, red, and the white of the vanilla shake fill the screen. The contrast between Joy's red lips and outfit accents and the white shake cup maximizes visual attention.
Kitsch & Teen Mood: The background music, fonts, and costumes are reminiscent of scenes from American teen movies. This goes beyond the simple act of drinking a beverage and creates the illusion of being the main character in the film. Joy's facial expressions and exclamations of "Mmm~" as she sips her shake through a straw serve as powerful auditory and visual sizzles, piqueing curiosity about the flavor.
📈 5. Marketing Implications: Rediscovering a Steady-Seller
The Vanilla Shake isn't actually a new menu item. It's a long-standing menu item that's been a part of McDonald's history. However, the brand reframed this long-standing menu item as a "Happy Snack" and gave it the trendy "Joy" branding, making it seem like a new item to consumers.
This is a brilliant marketing strategy that extends the "Product Life Cycle (PLC)." By infusing a potentially old-fashioned menu item with a youthful sensibility, it achieves a two-track effect: making it hip for teenagers and nostalgic for older generations.
📝 Conclusion: Sweet Strategy Creates 'Reasonable Consumption'
The [McDonald's Happy Snack X Joy] ad goes beyond simple star marketing; it's a successful campaign that perfectly harmonizes **price competitiveness (Price), product attributes (Product), and target demographics (People)**.
"A feeling like Joy for just 000 won."
Consumers aren't buying shakes; they're buying a refreshing and joyful "feeling," like Joy in the ad. How about succumbing to the sweet temptation of marketing and a vanilla shake this weekend?
This concludes our marketing analysis of the McDonald's Happy Snack ad featuring Red Velvet's Joy. We'll be back with another exciting brand strategy story in the next post!
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