McDonald's explains why Nasi Lemak was chosen to front its localised campaign

Ahead of the National Day event, McDonald's has launched a new localised product line featuring items such as Nasi Lemak burger, Chendol flavoured ice cream as well as the Bandung McFizz. This is also as part of a campaign with NS50 and the Singapore Food Festival 2017.Titled “Just for you, Singapore”, the campaign runs on print, TV and online channels. PR agency Golin Singapore, creative agency DDB Singapore and media agency OMD Singapore were the agencies behind the campaign.  To promote the new items, McDonald’s launched an ad spot featuring a national serviceman buying the new McDonald’s localised products for his family using his first pay check following enlistment. At the time of writing, the Facebook video garnered over 47,000 views, 742 reactions and 294 shares at the time of writing. The new products have tickled the fancy of locals and even garnered the attention of local and international press. In a statement to Marketing, a spokesperson for McDonald's said its objective has always been about delighting consumers in an engaging and relevant way.With National Day around the corner, it wanted to launch a menu spread of locally-inspired items that puts a modern spin on traditional local favourites. The spokesperson added that food has always been a big part of the Singaporean culture, and McDonald's wanted to continue to connect with Singaporeans and celebrate Singapore's diverse local food heritage together.When asked about the importance of localising products, the spokesperson said McDonald's takes pride in understanding the taste buds of Singaporeans and their evolving tastes and preferences. The inspiration for its annual locally-inspired menu comes from Singaporeans' love for local food, such as salted egg yolk, pepper crab, nasi lemak, bandung and chendol.The spokesperson added that its in-house menu team is constantly innovating and evolving its offerings to keep up with the changing tastes and preferences of Singaporeans.To conceptualise the new menu, it first started by identifying popular foods and tastes that are trending or have a classic appeal.Thereafter, it captured and interpreted its taste profile in a way that retains its essence and is unique to McDonald's. It also researched and tested the new menu creations with a group of consumers, launching only those that scored well, with the Nasi Lemak burger being one of them.“As a brand that’s deeply woven into the fabric of Singapore, we wanted to pay homage to our traditional local fare in conjunction with the launch of the Singapore Food Festival 2017. We have given a modern twist to familiar local favourites, which include the Nasi Lemak Burger – and hope Singaporeans will be thrilled to unravel the local flavours in our exciting menu line-up, as we come together to celebrate National Day,” Agatha Yap, senior director of marketing, menu and digital innovation, McDonald’s Singapore, said.