Brand ads
McDonald's ads on Facebook and Instagram right now are almost all about a price or a game: $5 and $8 meal deals, team-themed packs for NFL fans, the new Red Bull drinks, and the return of Monopoly at McDonald's. Nearly every one ends by pushing you into the McDonald's app.
That's a long way from the jingle-led TV campaigns people remember, but the logic hasn't changed. Show the food big, say the price bigger, and give people a reason to come in today.
Every ad below is live in the public Meta Ad Library and belongs to the brand that runs it. We show a still frame, the copy, and our read on why it works. Dates are when each ad started running.
it’s as simple as McDonald's
Get your hands on this great deal.
CTA: Order nowHook: Two bundles side by side, "$8" and "$11", each in a red price circle above the burgers and fries.
Two prices let people pick based on how hungry they are, and the contents are spelled out under each photo. It has been running since spring, a good sign that a plain price comparison keeps working.
Only in the app
Lions get a sack. You get a snack. Score $1 10 pc Chicken McNuggets when the Lions get a sack during a home game. Only in the app.
CTA: DownloadHook: "$1 10 pc McNuggets when the Lions get a sack at home" over a Detroit Lions blue background.
The deal hangs on something fans already watch for, so every sack doubles as a McDonald's reminder. "Lions get a sack. You get a snack." sticks, and the offer only works in the app.
Get it today
a message to myself:
CTA: Order nowHook: A stacked "$5 Meal Deal" and "$6 Meal Deal" with a burger, nuggets, fries and a Coke in each.
Stacking the two tiers makes the extra dollar look like an easy upgrade. The caption "a message to myself:" frames the deal as a note you'd leave yourself, a playful way of saying "buy this".
Get a Big Mac Meal for $8.
not to brag, but this drop is a BIG deal
CTA: Order nowHook: A close-up of a Big Mac and a Coke on a tray with "the Big Mac Extra Value meal just dropped…"
"Dropped" borrows sneaker and music language for a meal deal. The headline still names the price, $8, so the playful caption never hides the offer.
Red Bull x McDonald’s = Delicious
ngl. This McDonald’s energy drink will change your whole morning routine.
CTA: Order nowHook: A glowing purple and teal McCafé drink next to a Red Bull can, with lightning around it and "power up with the new Red Bull Dragonberry Energizer".
Neon colours stand out in any feed, and the co-branded can tells you what's inside before you read a word. The "ngl" caption and the morning-routine promise are aimed straight at younger customers.
McDonald's
Celebrate your Jets fandom with the New York Jets Pack
CTA: Order nowHook: A green and white New York Jets box with burgers, fries and nuggets, and a "$16.99" price bubble.
Fans see their own team colours, so the pack feels made for them. Listing exactly what's in the box makes the price easy to judge, and it's built for sharing on game day.
McDonald's
Get going already!
CTA: Order nowHook: A tower of 20 McNuggets on a white brick wall with a "$6" limited time badge.
Piling the nuggets high makes the quantity visible, which backs up the price. The doodles and the "Get going already!" line give a plain deal some attitude.
Get it today
Breakfast never sounded so good.
CTA: Order nowHook: A Big Breakfast with Hotcakes on a white background with a "$5" price circle and a coffee add-on.
With nothing in the background, all the attention goes to the food and the price. The small coffee circle is a gentle upsell, placed right next to the order-ahead prompt.
it’s as simple as McDonald's
Wake up for this deal
CTA: Order nowHook: "Sausage McMuffin with Egg Meal" in huge black type with a "$5" limited time badge.
The product name is the design, which suits a breakfast item people already know and want. "Wake up for this deal" pins the offer to a time of day so it lands in the morning feed.
Play Monopoly at McD’s
Everything you see is up for grabs. Play now in the McDonald’s app. –Mr. Monopoly 🎩
CTA: Learn moreHook: Mr. Monopoly sits behind a mountain of cash, a car and gadgets under "GET YOUR BAG".
Every prize is in the picture, so you see what you could win before reading anything. "Get your bag" is internet slang for getting paid, and it makes a decades-old promotion sound current.
Millions of future winners are out there. Could you be one of them? —Mr. Monopoly
CTA: Learn moreHook: A cartoon Mr. Monopoly holds up a phone sign that says "PLAY IN THE APP".
Four words tell you where to play, which matters now that the game has moved from stickers to the app. The mascot gives the ad a friendly face instead of a wall of rules.
Play Monopoly at McD’s
This is how winning looks. Play in the app and get your bag. –Mr. Monopoly 🎩
CTA: Learn moreHook: Mr. Monopoly peels a game piece from a fries box on a red carpet, under "PEEL".
"Peel" is the one action every past player remembers, so people recognise it instantly. The red carpet and spotlights turn a fries box into a moment of suspense.
Play Monopoly at McDonald’s
You wish this was you huh? It could be! Get your bag! —Mr. Monopoly
CTA: Learn moreHook: Mr. Monopoly in sunglasses spins a turntable with the prize named on a label.
Naming one specific prize makes winning feel real. "You wish this was you huh? It could be!" teases the reader and dares them to play.
Play Monopoly at McD’s
Millions of future winners are out there. Could you be one of them? –Mr. Monopoly 🎩
CTA: Learn moreHook: Mr. Monopoly walks through restaurant doors with a bag of money under "MONOPOLY IS ON".
"Is on" reads as an announcement for people who have been waiting for the game to come back. The doorway shot connects the game to visiting a restaurant, not only to the app.
Our Mission and Values
Stand proud. Love loud.
CTA: Learn moreHook: A rainbow fan on a yellow background with "shine bright. stand proud. love loud."
It's a values ad with no product in it, so its tone is different from the deals around it. The three short lines have a rhythm you can read at a glance.
Mostly deal ads: a meal photo, a big price and an order button. Around those run promotions like Monopoly, new menu items such as the Red Bull energizers, and local sports tie-ins.
Many of these deals are app-only, so the ad is really an app-install or app-open ad dressed up as a food ad. Once customers are in the app, McDonald's has a direct line to them for the next offer.
Lead with one clear price, show the food large on a clean background, and give one action, like "order ahead". Tie a deal to something local your customers care about, the way McDonald's ties nuggets to the Lions defence.
Yes. They come from McDonald's page in the public Meta Ad Library, and each card links to the original listing.
Ads are from the public Meta Ad Library and belong to their respective brands. They are shown here for study and commentary. We do not know any advertiser’s spend or results, so we never quote them.