McDonald’s has captured the universal heartbreak of skipping breakfast with its new campaign from Wieden+Kennedy Sydney, titled “Missing Breakfast”. Set in the deep green of early morning, the film follows a sleep-deprived office worker who sleeps through his alarm and through life’s best moments, missed hugs at home, sleepy smiles from loved ones, all underscored by the gentle pull of a Big Breakfast deal waiting nearby.
What’s powerful here is the mood. There’s no frantic “eat up!” It’s quiet regret, soft guilt, and the pang of “should’ve.” Every missed moment, the chance to slow down with coffee, those warm fresh bites, feels like a tiny daily tragedy. And just as that remorse peaks, the Big Breakfast appears onscreen, gently rescuing the morning with a comforting visual and tone.
Rather than brandishing logo-first, McDonald’s lets the emotion land. The audience experiences the little grief of a missed moment before the brand steps in with both solution and empathy: “Don’t skip breakfast today.”
Key Takeaway:
McDonald’s isn’t just selling meals, it’s selling emotional redemption wrapped in a paper bag. By tapping into the simple sorrow of skipping breakfast, the campaign doesn’t push, it empathizes and reconnects. In that moment of quiet regret, the brand becomes part of the morning again.