Only those who have a close and affectionate relationship earn a special nickname. Inspired by this connection, McDonald’s delved into the meaning of the nickname “Méqui” to discover what makes this brand so beloved by Brazilians. The campaign ‘That’s why I call Méqui Méqui’, created by the agency GALERIA.ag, brings to light four moving stories of real consumers, revealing the reason behind this nickname that fans can’t stop talking about.
“We embraced this affectionate nickname a few years ago, and now we’ve decided to explore the emotions of this ‘Méqui’ even further. Calling McDonald’s Méqui is the Brazilian way of expressing love for our brand, showing that we are as close as those friends who call each other by nicknames. And we deeply value this connection!”, comments Sérgio Eleutério, marketing director of Méqui Brasil.
McDonald’s is more than a restaurant chain, it’s a love brandand which often connects with its consumers in a unique way. Marcel knows what this connection is and, for him, Méqui is a place of unforgettable memories. In 2018, after his team’s exciting victory in the championship, he decided to celebrate with a Méqui and was surprised to find his idol, the player Pablo Felipe Teixeira, celebrating the victory in the same restaurant. The hero of the night, who secured the title with a decisive goal, was there, sharing the same special moment. That’s why Marcel calls Méqui Méqui.
The Murata family also has a special story about their time at McDonald’s. After years of not being together, it was little Thomas’s passion for the Happy Meal that brought the whole family together again. With McDonald’s as the backdrop, grandparents, parents and grandchildren reunited, transforming the restaurant into a place of celebration and family memories.
Some dreams are never forgotten, and for Camille, the perfect birthday party was always at McDonald’s. In 1996, at the age of 7, she had a dream: to celebrate her birthday at McDonald’s. However, the first restaurant in her city would not open on time. Knowing about the little girl’s dream, her aunts took action and contacted the brand. The result? McDonald’s opened its doors a week earlier than planned, just to hold Camille’s long-awaited party, making her birthday a magical moment that she cherishes to this day.
And some people even choose McDonald’s to say “I do”! In 2017, Paulo decided it was the perfect time to ask Camila to marry him and chose the place that has always been special to them both: McDonald’s. On that day, Camila’s Cheddar McMelt box brought an unforgettable surprise – the engagement rings. And on the big day, the rings arrived in a sandwich box, sealing their love with a unique and meaningful touch. To this day, McDonald’s is part of the story of this loving couple.
“These four real customer stories clearly reveal the ‘whys’ behind calling Méqui Méqui. We were moved and identified with each of them, and we believe that the public will feel the same way”, adds Sérgio.
“Five years ago, McDonald’s adopted the affectionate nickname that Brazilians chose for it: Méqui. This is proof of the emotional connection that people have with the brand. This campaign is nothing more than the stories behind this intimate and deep relationship. It is a brand truth that goes beyond advertising, so much so that our work was almost documentary, portraying these stories with great care. The campaign wanted to show this affectionate and loving relationship that people have with Méqui. This brand was able to conquer a special place in the hearts of each of these consumers, transforming the experience into something personal and memorable. This is the story we want to tell in this campaign”, comments Rafael Urenha, Chief Creative Officer and founding partner of GALERIA.ag.
The films that premiered on TV during the Fantástico break this Sunday (25), were produced by Hungry Man and Evil Twin, and can be seen on open and closed TV, and on McDonald’s official channels. The campaign also includes a series of actions and news, developments for the digital universe, print media, OOH and content with influencers.
TECHNICAL SHEET
Titles: The Request / The Idol / The Party / The Meeting
Duration: 60”
Customer: Mequi
Product: Institutional
Campaign: That’s why I call Mequi Mequi
Agency: GALERIA.ag
CCO: Rafael Urenha
Executive Creative Director: Carlos Schleder, Phil Daijó and Rodrigo Marangoni
Creative Direction: Guzera, Rodrigo Porto, Mellina Fontoura and Paula Keller Perego
ACD: Rodrigo Bonfim and Victor Capato
Creation: Rodrigo Bonfim, Victor Capato, Elder Caldeira, Marcelo Vaz and André Kirkelis
Content: Thaís Lapastini, Guillermo Calvin, Rebeca Avila, Polianna Sena, Victor Moraes, Lucas Melo, Renan Silva, Gabriela Greipel and Giovanna Maracajá
Service: Ana Coutinho, Paula Salvarani, Tais Boaventura, Larissa Gama, Bruna Santarosa, Giulia Vita and Julia Dantas
Client approval: Sergio Aguiar Eleuterio, Lariane Duarte, Bruna Lahr, Leticia Anjos and Maria Eduarda Felix
Media: Paulo Island, Kaline Lessio, Isabella Ferro, Mirella Covaleski, Bruno Souza, Gustavo Botelho and Juan Cesar
Strategy: Carol Mello, Rafael Martins, Felipe Ribeiro, Matheus Brito, Julia Ferraz, Alana Moraes, Felipe Fonseca, Graziele Soares and Vitor Correa
PR: Patricia Capuchinho, Mariana Novaes and Fernanda Gil
Influence: Karen Bartels, Tiago Carvalho, Patricia Laureano, Mylena Fontes, Beatriz Cardoso and Nathália Belisario
Data and Technology: Guido Sarti, Marcelo Azevedo and Rafael Ribeiro
Projects: Marione Oliveira, Michel Ferreira and Maisa Amorim
Graphic and Digital Production Management: Marcos Moura
Artbuyer: Brown Coast
Graphic Production: Leandro Cabral, Cristiano Arashiro, Leonardo Fioravante, Karine Parpaiola and Gabriela Correa
Digital Production: Gessica Sales and Natassia Santoro
Finalization Coordination: Pablo Felix
Image Processing: Marcelo Reis and Cesar Bonfim
Revision: Teresa Montes
Integrated Production: Ducha Lopes, Fabio Truci, Fernanda Domingues, Natalia Menken and Vinicius Pascal
Legal: Rosimeire Brito and Isabelle Versannio
Image Producer: Hungry Man
Direction: JC Feyer
Managing Partner: Alex Mehedff
Executive Producer: Alex Mehedff and Sarina D’Avila
Executive Creative Producer: Fabio Pinheiro
Creative Assistant: Leonardo Godinho and Victoria Zamfolini
Line Producer: Fernanda Kalume and Flavia Sereno
Head of Production: Gabriel Sidorenko
In-house Production Coordinator: Marcelo Cintra and Rafaela Pellegrini
Coordinator Assistant: Wesley de Oliveira
Business Affairs Manager: Matheus Rosa
AD: Bruno Galvao Romboli
Director of photography: Lula Carvalho
Art Director: Pedro Bolo
Costume Designer: Gabriela Pinesso
Production Director: Valeria Amorim
Cast Production: Carminha and Eduardo Piva
Culinary expert: Luiz Alfredo Guedes
Head of Post Production: Rodrigo Oliveira
Post Production Team: JP Oliveira and Michael Eduardo
Sound Producer: Evil Twin
Musical Direction and Production: Andre Namur, Peter Sauces, Marcio Biaso, Murilo Faria and Andre Faria
Editing, mixing, sfx and finishing: Rafael Vieira, Gustavo Boselli, André D’Avila, Paulo Ribeiro, Niper and Guilherme Xibrusk
Service/Coordination: Juliana Tangary, Thaís Becker and Leticia Brito
Voiceover: Oliver
Post-production: FRAME
Head of post-production: Wilson Fernandes e Gabriel Mariano
Post-production assistant: Andre dos Santos
Finishers: Marilia Ramos, Viviane Torre, Lucas Marini and Diego Nascimento
Colorist: Sergio Pasqualino – Bleach
Compositor: Ricardo Costa, Ailton Piuí, André Toma and Guilherme Travassos
Motion: Ebson Clarindo
Assembly: Paulo Barros
Assembly wizard:Daniela Peixoto
