No need to get out the scrunchies to feel a bit more 90s — McDonald’s is getting out the time machine in a fantastic landscape gatefold ad in Saturday’s edition of The Times earlier this month
In honour of the news brand’s former broadsheet print format, the burger specialists’ pullout ad brings readers the best of 90s culture through specially written pieces by The Times journalists on film, music and television.
The pullout is hidden by two flaps adorned in McDonald’s branding from the era (although a QR code in the corner reassures readers the time travel is temporary). The campaign goes back in time to the decade when McDonald’s first started using only British and Irish beef in its burgers, bringing out the nostalgia while still ensuring its meat is high quality and locally sourced.
Gatefold print ads like this are particularly well placed to ensure brands and campaigns stick in the memory. According to RAMetrics’ databank, gatefolds achieve a recall figure of 72%, nine percentage points above the print average.
They are also among the most successful formats for advertisers to promote their brand; gatefolds achieve a brand recognition score of 64%, eight percentage points higher than the print average and seven higher than full page adverts.
