Franchising Creativity with McDonald’s Global CCO @ DDB

“Technology is the great equalizer, but Poetry (the intangible benefits of creativity) is what really makes a difference.” 

McDonald’s Global CCO @ DDB, Luis Miguel Messianu, named Legend Honoree by ADCOLOR and part of CMC’s Advertising Hall of Fame, is the one who oversees the creative output of the McDonald’s brand across all of its 46 markets. And, as part of his role, he’s now building a unique internal infrastructure for sharing creative ideas globally throughout the DDB network.

In our conversation with Luis Miguel, he tells us about:

• What it means to manage creativity on a global scale and how to make it more efficient;
• Increasing the potential of local ideas – ”franchising creativity” as he likes to call it – and the importance of sharing, learning, and scaling;
• McDonald’s internal “candy store” – a platform full of pre-prepared, never-implemented ideas (and materials) for creatives worldwide to consider bringing to life in other, more suitable markets;
• Avoiding the “not invented here” syndrome;
• Ronald McDonald using the metaverse for good.

“At the end of the day, it’s the human factor – it’s the poetry and the emotional connection – that works harder on behalf of the brand, and provides a benefit for the audience.” – Luis Miguel Messianu @ DDB