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| Author | Joby Reeves |
The McDonald’s Friends Festival, an exciting new activation, descends on London’s bustling Leicester Square this weekend (6-8 February), delivering a slice of NY with activities inspired by Friends and big-screen episodes shown at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, Vue West End and Cineworld Leicester Square.
The first-of-its-kind event launches in celebration of the new Friends Meal at UK McDonald’s, transforming the central London hot-spot into a buzzing three-day festival packed with original activities. And all completely free.
Made possible by Digital Cinema Media (DCM), OMD and Red Consultancy, it’s the first time all three cinema chains have combined for one campaign, taking over the square’s biggest screens for an event of unprecedented scale. Digital Cinema Media’s creative arm, DCM Studios, produced the entire festival with additional support from Sublime and Wonderhatch. The event is set to tour UK Cineworld sites around the country in the coming weeks, with free tickets available from the official microsite designed and built by Spark.
Re-live memorable moments inspired by Friends
DCM Studios has set up a weekend full of interactive elements inviting fans to recreate memorable moments inspired by the series, all before heading to one of the cinemas to catch four unique episodes.
Sitting centrally, Leicester Square’s iconic fountain will become the backdrop of a unique photo opportunity for attendees to reimagine the notorious Friends couch. And each cinema will feature further unique activations inspired by the series, including a recreation of Joey’s famous map of London displayed at Cineworld, a recreation of Monica and Rachel’s apartment at Odeon and a recreation of Joey and Chandler’s recliner seats at Vue.
Sitting above the festival, DCM Studios will deliver 3 external Large Format Digital Screens outside Odeon Luxe Leicester Square.
The Friends festival will be served by the McFleet food truck, parked up to provide free McDonald’s to guests across the weekend.
Jeremy Kolesar, Creative Director, DCM Studios said “It’s been an incredible endeavour taking over London’s iconic Leicester Square and building a real cultural moment from the ground up. Cinema is a beloved shared experience, and the coming together of McDonald’s and Friends for this activation will be truly unforgettable. We can’t wait for people to experience the Friends Festival in London and across the UK when we tour the event to Cineworld sites nationwide.”
Emma Gilmore, Business Director, at OMD UK said “An iconic partnership like McDonald’s and Friends called for an equally iconic campaign, and I’m delighted that, together with our partners at DCM, we are bringing Friends Festival to life. This has all been made possible by the dedication of countless clients and wider agency partners, with the shared goal of providing something truly special for fans across the country. I can’t wait for McDonald’s and Friends fans to come together around the UK to experience Friends Festival in cinemas this month!”
Matt Reischauer, Marketing Director at McDonald's UK & Ireland added, “We’re always looking for new ways to create memorable moments for our fans, and the McDonald’s Friends Festival truly brings that ambition to life. Friends and McDonald’s are both beloved by generations, so it felt only right to craft an experience where both could be enjoyed together in one place. Our London event unites all three major cinemas in Leicester Square for the first time, bringing fans and friends together for a truly unique celebration of the show, and, of course, our food.”