Over the years, McDonald’s France has used different ways to bring their signature, “Come As You Are,” to life, often tying it to contemporary subjects. A spot from 2010 that promoted gay rights became one of the most talked about ads that year.

This latest spot features a city full of emoticons, focusing on assorted emotions.  Whether you are happy, sad, stressed or excited, you are always welcome at McDonald’s.

Emoticons have become a universal language of its own, one that makes text message conversations more personal and emotional. Thus emoticons seemed like an obvious choice to bring out the “Come as You Are” message.

BETC Paris teamed up with the French director duo We Are From LA (behind Pharrell’s “Happy”) to create a living world of emoticons.

The spot was shot in a small town in France that over a couple of days was filled with people wearing big, yellow heads.

Those heads were animated with a whole range of emotions. Suddenly the little faces we all use in text messages and emails come alive.

Credits

Client McDonald’s Agency BETC Paris Remi Babinet, executive creative director; Damien Bellon, creative director; Juri Zaech, art director; Albert Yvert, assistant art director; Samuel Moore, David Aronson, copywriters; Fabrice Brovelli, Thibault Blacaque-Belair, TV producers. Production Iconoclast We Are From LA, directors. Postproduction Mathematic Audio Green United Music Music “Video Killed the radio star” from The Buggles Remix par GUM.

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