McDonald’s Unveils the Simplest Ads It’s Ever Made

Last summer, TBWA Paris unveiled a bold campaign for McDonald's that consisted entirely of classic menu items photographed up close—with no branding at all. (Did somebody say McDonald's? Not in those ads.)

Now, agency and client are back with a follow-up campaign that, in a way, is even more minimalist. Instead of the actual products, now we get clean, simple drawings of the products—turning them into actual icons. There is a bit more explicit branding on these, though, but it's still very subtle—a tiny Golden Arches next to the illustrations.

The ads feature McDonald's "Big 6" menu items—Big Mac, cheeseburger, fries, sundae, Chicken Nuggets and Filet-o-Fish—and will appear on more than 2,700 outdoor displays in France, with the major rollout beginning June 2. The agency calls the work "unique and modern, in the McDonald's brand image," "exclusive, simple and universal, just like the six iconic products" and "a fun and intriguing addition to our cities."

More images, plus a new McDonald's TV spot from TBWA Paris, below.