Overview

To introduce the "Grandma McFlurry," McDonald's wanted a campaign that felt warm, personal, and easy to share. Partnering with AKOOL, they created an interactive microsite where people could record a video message about "Grandma McFlurry," translate it into another language, and send it to friends and family instantly. This campaign celebrated family connections and made it easy for users to share the experience, no matter the language.

Challenge

McDonald's needed a fast, reliable way for users to create and share personalized videos in different languages. The microsite had to handle high traffic, keep videos high-quality, and process translations quickly so users could share their videos right away. Content moderation was also key, ensuring all shared content stayed family-friendly.

Solution

AKOOL worked with McDonald’s to develop a microsite with several key features:

1. Quick Video Translation and Lip-Sync: Using both OpenAI and Google Translate, AKOOL’s API delivered accurate, natural translations. Lip-sync was optimized for around 40 languages, ensuring videos felt authentic, with processing times under a minute per video.
2. Content Moderation: AKOOL’s tools automatically filtered out inappropriate visuals and audio, keeping the microsite safe and on-brand for McDonald's.
3. High-Quality Branding: McDonald's supplied branded frames and disclaimers for each video, which AKOOL integrated seamlessly. AKOOL ensured that all branding elements appeared as sharp as the original assets.
4. Flexible Recording Options: Users could record videos directly on the site or upload their own. AKOOL’s API supported various formats and orientations, so each video looked its best whether recorded vertically or horizontally.
5. Real-Time Analytics: AKOOL provided data on video engagement, completion rates, and queue lengths, giving McDonald’s insights into user interaction with the campaign.

Execution

On the microsite, users could record a short message, choose a target language, and send it via email. AKOOL’s API processed each video in under a minute, ensuring a quick and seamless user experience. McDonald’s also created a “hero” video showing a granddaughter’s English message translated into Chinese to showckase the campaign’s impact and versatility.

Results

• Widespread Engagement: Thousands of users engaged with the microsite, recording and sharing their videos on social media.
• Cross-Cultural Connection: The campaign resonated with users who loved the ability to share a personalized experience with family and friends across languages.
• Efficient Processing and High Quality: AKOOL’s fast processing times allowed McDonald's to deliver a smooth, high-quality experience for each user, keeping branding and video quality intact.

Conclusion

The "Grandma McFlurry" campaign successfully combined technology and tradition, with AKOOL’s Video Translation API enabling McDonald’s to create meaningful connections worldwide. The quick processing times, accurate translations, and seamless branding integration made this campaign a hit, highlighting the value of personalized, shareable content in today’s digital landscape.