Simple Happiness

McDonald’s Taiwan is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2024, kicking off a full year of festivities with a campaign called ‘Simple Happiness’, created by Leo Burnett Taiwan.

Starring Jolin Tsai, Taiwan’s ‘Queen of C-pop’ with over 25 million records sold, the film depicts moments of simple happiness across four decades, beginning in 1984 – the year McDonald’s Taiwan first opened its doors. The film’s lyrics and soundtrack are composed by Jolin herself, with a music video and Spotify launch coming soon.

“To commemorate McDonald’s 40th anniversary in Taiwan, we loved the idea of creating a happiness time machine: a campaign that revisits memorable moments of simple happiness over the past 40 years. By embracing the latest virtual production technologies, it also looks to the future, positioning McDonald’s Taiwan as an icon of food, tech and transformation,” says Brenda Kou, CMO, Asia Business Unit, McDonald’s, who has played a pivotal role in McDonald’s Taiwan’s evolution over the past decade, joining in 2014.

Kevin Yang, CEO and CCO at Leo Burnett Taiwan, explains: “McDonald’s holds a special place in the hearts of Taiwanese people. When it first opened in 1984, it brought new cultural influences and immediately became a place where shared memories are created, like a good friend we’ve all grown up with. After many years of adapting global propositions to local culture, McDonald's Taiwan is a loved and essential brand among many Taiwanese people.”

Leaping from 1988, when McDonald’s launched its first Happy Meal, through to 2024, when McDonald’s Taiwan will celebrate its 40th anniversary, the film transitions from village streets to cityscapes in the blink of an eye using 3D animation with a timelapse effect to express the passage of time.

As the leader in Taiwan’s QSR industry, McDonald’s always goes beyond to think big. Recent milestones include partnering with Tzu-Ying Tai, world-famous women’s badminton champion, to depict feel good moments with high local relevancy from 2018; transforming receipts into an e-donation platform with the launch of Donation Wallpaper, and pioneering many popular LTOs (Limited Time Offers) exclusive to Taiwan such as the top-selling Taste Of the World and Lobster Burger in 2023.

In a first for Taiwan, the film’s various eras were filmed entirely in a Virtual Studio in collaboration with Moonshine XR Studio using the latest 3D modelling and mapping technology. The film even uses AI to faithfully recreate McDonald’s most iconic packaging designs of yesteryear, which exist today only in people’s memories.

“Simple Happiness is a leap forward for Taiwanese filmmaking. We created five distinct settings using 3D modelling and huge LED screens. Simulating natural sunlight was one of many hurdles, but after months of extensive planning and testing, our story was freed from the constraints of physical locations, giving us greater control, flexibility and creativity,” explains award-winning director Hsiao Ya-chuan, who was nominated for Best Director at Taiwan’s 2023 Golden Horse Awards.

“It has been over 20 years since I first collaborated with McDonald’s, and I’m truly honored to be part of this 40th anniversary celebration. The narrative masterfully intertwines the journeys of growing up in various eras, and the courage that McDonald’s can instil along the way,” says Jolin.

Jolin’s song, “OH LA LA LA”, will be released on Spotify in early 2024.