DDB Mudra Group bags McDonald's communication, brand mandate

Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt. Ltd. appoints the DDB Mudra Group as its Brand and Communications Partner for McDonald’s South and West 

The Group has created a bespoke model, leveraging its brand management, advertising, digital and data capabilities, for McDonald’s.

The business win is a homecoming of sorts because DDB Mudra first introduced India to McDonald’s in the 1990s with the memorable ‘McDonald's Main Hai Kuch Baat' campaign that gave the international brand an endearing, Indian image. Now, fifteen years later, the team at the DDB Mudra Group is excited to work again on one of the most loved brands in the world.

Commenting on the association, Seema Arora Nambiar, Sr. Vice President, Marketing and People Resources, HRPL said, “We were quite impressed by the rigour and passion demonstrated by the DDB Mudra team. Being our global agency partner, they bring a deep understanding of our brand philosophy and ethos. DDB and McDonald’s together have created some of the most path-breaking campaigns globally and we are looking forward to replicating that in India as well.”

Reigniting the McDonald’s — Mudra association required an uncommon approach. The team went waist-deep in market research to find out what kept McDonald’s up at night. They rolled up their sleeves, entered McDonald’s restaurants and kitchens, observed, listened, as well as learned from years of research and data. They supplemented this knowledge with expertise from DDB teams that work on the brand across the world. 

To create solutions for the future, the team at DDB Mudra Group borrowed lessons from the past. They brought all the knowledge on business, brand, retail marketing, and consumer together to put the right people with the specialist skill sets, in the right structure; giving the McDonald’s team a first-hand taste of working with a unified approach to grow India’s under-penetrated eating out market.

Arvind RP, Director – Marketing and Communications, HRPL added, “We are excited to work with DDB in India. With a strong commitment to our brand and business and the ability to work seamlessly across brand touchpoints, we are confident that DDB will help us reinforce our brand love and catapult the business to its next phase of growth.”

Aditya Kanthy, Group CEO and MD, DDB Mudra Group, who led the specialist team, said, “The McDonald’s win means a lot to us. We’re talking about one of the most influential brands in the world and the opportunity to shape its future in India. Our teams are challenging the conventions of how to work across disciplines. We’re contributing to their business planning, advertising, store experience, app ecosystem, delivery business, and offer design. As clients they truly believe in the power of deep partnerships — we couldn’t ask for more. It also underlines the strength of the DDB global network, from Dave Kissel at one end of the world in Chicago to Peter Rodenbeck at the other end in Hong Kong - this is a true meeting of hearts and minds of folks who have ketchup in their veins!”