CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW
To showcase the real world impact of McDonald's Asian Aemerican scholarship program, we utilized image-to-video AI tools to transform student photographs into a pair of deeply moving—and visually dynamic—TV commercials and OLVs, which would’ve been impossible to produce by traditional means due to time, budget, and logistics. These spots would become McDonald's very first (and second) fully AI-rendered commercials.
OBJECTIVE
The APIA/McDonald's Scholars program is dedicated to empowering Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) students by providing financial assistance to those pursuing higher education. Our campaign aimed to:
- Increase awareness of the APIA/McDonald's Scholars program.
- Inspire more APIA students to apply by showcasing real-life success stories.
- Leverage innovative AI technology to tell deeply personal and culturally resonant narratives in a visually compelling way.
STRATEGY
To bring the impact of the APIA/McDonald's Scholars program to life, we needed a campaign that was emotionally engaging, resource-efficient, and capable of reaching a broad audience. Given constraints of time, budget, and production logistics, we implemented an AI-driven strategy that allowed us to:
- Source authentic stories: We selected two past APIA/McDonald's Scholars whose experiences reflected the transformative power of higher education in immigrant families.
- Utilize image-to-video AI tools: Instead of traditional video production, we used generative AI to animate still photographs, creating stunning "living vision boards" that visualized each student’s journey.
- Enhance storytelling through AI-generated visuals: AI enabled us to produce cinematic sequences of pivotal moments in the scholars' lives.
- Optimize budget and resources: By reducing the need for on-location filming and extensive post-production work, AI allowed us to create two high-quality TV spots within a fraction of the usual production costs.
EXECUTION
Our creative approach revolved around the concept of "living vision boards". The only live action footage in each video are the closing shots at the end featuring the student. Everything else, the "old" videos and even the visionboard itself was AI-rendered and digitally animated.
- Each commercial featured a collage of personal photographs, symbolic imagery, and AI-generated video recreations that illustrated pivotal moments in the scholars’ lives. For critical periods in their lives which were missing photographs (e.g., such as inside the homeless shelter and inside classrooms), we utilized machine learning to create "archival photos" based on existing images of the students that that time period.
- The AI-powered transformation of static images into fluid motion helped immerse viewers in the students' aspirations and struggles.
- The campaign debuted with two spots, each highlighting a different APIA/McDonald's Scholar:
- One student who overcame homelessness to attend college.
- Another who fulfilled his parents' dreams of higher education.
- The spots aired nationally across digital and social media channels, including YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, ensuring broad reach among Gen Z APIA audiences.
By harnessing the power of AI to tell human stories, this campaign exemplified how technology can enhance—not replace—authentic cultural storytelling, setting a new precedent for marketing in the AI era.
The campaign’s innovative use of AI and emotionally compelling storytelling yielded remarkable results:
- Scholarship applications increased by 51% and completed applications by 104%, demonstrating a direct impact on participation.
- Unanimous industry praise: The campaign was recognized for both its cultural storytelling and its pioneering use of AI in commercial production.
- McDonald’s expanded the scope: Originally planned as a single TV spot, McDonald’s was so impressed with the AI-driven approach that they greenlit a second commercial.
- Elevated McDonald's brand positioning: The campaign reinforced McDonald’s commitment to diversity, education, and technological innovation, strengthening its reputation among APIA communities.
