"Resilience"

16 March 2026

30s

All hands on deck.

Keen to draw some sort of line under a sexual harassment scandal that's rumbled on for years, McDonald's has released a series of commercials that celebrates Gen Z workers. Hold the phone—aren't they a bunch of lazy so-and-sos who are, as one caller puts it, "scared of a hard day's work"? Not if you believe part one of agency Leo UK and director Sara Dunlop's campaign.

'Resilience' is all about the late shift, when revellers, clubbers, emergency workers, and night owls descend on restaurants like this one. Up front are two members of staff so 'lazy' that they take order after order, regardless of how loud, indecisive, or merry customers happen to be. It's a lot to handle, but the brand has faith in those it sticks up top, so to speak.

Dunlop wants viewers to feel like they're in the thick of it, and make them compelled to er, chip in, as well. Orders comes in thick and fast, crosstalk is translated like a foreign language, and deep breaths are vital after each wave—not only does it build resilience, it also builds camaraderie. The brand's got a lot of minds to change, but it seems up for the challenge.

UK

Fast Food Restaurants