McDonald’s partners with XBOX for some Side Missions
Leo UK’s returning platform sees legendary food from Halo: Campaign Evolved, Fallout 76, Forza Horizon 6, Overwatch, World of Warcraft and Candy Crush brought into the world of McDonald’s with a limited-time menu, launched with a co-created 360 campaign made with gaming fans.
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McDonald’s and Leo UK are bringing legendary food from games into the real world with their Side Missions platform, teaming up with XBOX in an immersive 360 campaign co-created with gaming fans.
At the centre of the partnership is a limited-time Side Missions Menu, inspired by iconic and often mythical foods from each game. The menu brings in-game food into the real world, from Halo-inspired Black Pepper & Garlic McNuggets, based on Moa Nuggets, to Blamco Cheese Bites inspired by Fallout 76’s Blamco Mac & Cheese.
First launched in 2025, Side Missions was built on a simple fan truth, that a trip to McDonald’s is often life’s best detour. This year, rather than simply borrowing from gaming culture, McDonald’s is creating a campaign together with fans of six of XBOX’s most recognisable gaming franchises: Halo: Campaign Evolved, Fallout 76, Forza Horizon 6, Overwatch, World of Warcraft and Candy Crush.
The 360, co-created campaign begins with teaser activity through XBOX and IP-owned social channels, with McDonald’s Golden Arches reimagined in the visual language of each game. Gaming creators, such as Poopernoddle & Blue & Queenie, will also participate in the campaign by leaking and teasing the collaboration, using streams and social content to seed the idea that legendary in-game food is coming to McDonald’s.
Credits
View on- Agency Leo Burnett/London
- Production Company Academy
- Director Romain Chassaing
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Credits
View on- Agency Leo Burnett/London
- Production Company Academy
- Director Romain Chassaing
- Food Production Company Darling Films
- Editing tenthree
- Food Editing Final Cut/London
- Post Production/VFX/Color Black Kite Studios
- Sound 750mph
- Music Supervision Wake The Town
- Production Services B2Y Productions
- Chief Creative Officer Mark Elwood
- Executive Creative Director Andrew Long
- Creative Director Jason Keet
- Creative Director James Hodson
- Senior Creative Abi Stephenson
- Senior Creative Matt Jones
- Head of Design Dave Allen
- Design Director Paul Reddington
- Lead Senior Designer Roxana Iriciuc
- Senior Designer Tomek Drozdowski
- Senior Motion Designer Jacson Mitchell
- Motion Designer Bey Redding-O’Brien
- Motion Design Director Carmen Perez
- Design Producer Ethan Lynton
- Studio Director Ricky Pettiford
- Head of Production (HP) Anna Cartwright
- Senior Producer Helen Choonpicharn
- Producer Kinga Lily
- Producer Steve Overs
- Executive Producer Darapen Vongsa-nga
- Production Designer Olly Williams
- Food Director Scott Grummett
- Executive Food Producer Clare Timms
- Food Producer Kelly Doyle Montejo
- DP Mathieu Plainfosse
- Food DP Tim Green
- Editor Sam Bould
- Edit Assistant Alice Payne
- Food Editor Adam Rudd
- Post Creative Director Phil Oldham
- Executive VFX Producer Hazel Gibson
- Senior VFX Producer Hannah Jarrold
- VFX Supervisor Rob Peacock
- VFX Lead Andrew Bartholomew
- VFX Lead Jorge Meurer
- Food Senior VFX Producer Phil Brewster
- Food VFX Lead Guy Lubin
- Food CG Lead Elia Gottlicher
- Colorist George Kyriacou
- Executive Audio Producer Olivia Ray
- Head of Audio Production Rachel Saxon
- Senior Audio Producer Chloe Hughes / Producer
- Sound Engineer Mike Bovill
- Sound Engineer Sam Ashwell
- Food Sound Engineer Matt Valentine
- Music Supervisor Ronnie Olubayo
- Music Supervisor David Bass / (Music Supervisor)
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Credits
powered by- Agency Leo Burnett/London
- Production Company Academy
- Director Romain Chassaing
- Food Production Company Darling Films
- Editing tenthree
- Food Editing Final Cut/London
- Post Production/VFX/Color Black Kite Studios
- Sound 750mph
- Music Supervision Wake The Town
- Production Services B2Y Productions
- Chief Creative Officer Mark Elwood
- Executive Creative Director Andrew Long
- Creative Director Jason Keet
- Creative Director James Hodson
- Senior Creative Abi Stephenson
- Senior Creative Matt Jones
- Head of Design Dave Allen
- Design Director Paul Reddington
- Lead Senior Designer Roxana Iriciuc
- Senior Designer Tomek Drozdowski
- Senior Motion Designer Jacson Mitchell
- Motion Designer Bey Redding-O’Brien
- Motion Design Director Carmen Perez
- Design Producer Ethan Lynton
- Studio Director Ricky Pettiford
- Head of Production (HP) Anna Cartwright
- Senior Producer Helen Choonpicharn
- Producer Kinga Lily
- Producer Steve Overs
- Executive Producer Darapen Vongsa-nga
- Production Designer Olly Williams
- Food Director Scott Grummett
- Executive Food Producer Clare Timms
- Food Producer Kelly Doyle Montejo
- DP Mathieu Plainfosse
- Food DP Tim Green
- Editor Sam Bould
- Edit Assistant Alice Payne
- Food Editor Adam Rudd
- Post Creative Director Phil Oldham
- Executive VFX Producer Hazel Gibson
- Senior VFX Producer Hannah Jarrold
- VFX Supervisor Rob Peacock
- VFX Lead Andrew Bartholomew
- VFX Lead Jorge Meurer
- Food Senior VFX Producer Phil Brewster
- Food VFX Lead Guy Lubin
- Food CG Lead Elia Gottlicher
- Colorist George Kyriacou
- Executive Audio Producer Olivia Ray
- Head of Audio Production Rachel Saxon
- Senior Audio Producer Chloe Hughes / Producer
- Sound Engineer Mike Bovill
- Sound Engineer Sam Ashwell
- Food Sound Engineer Matt Valentine
- Music Supervisor Ronnie Olubayo
- Music Supervisor David Bass / (Music Supervisor)
A 60” hero film directed by Academy's Romain Chassaing shows iconic gaming characters abandoning their main missions to go on a Side Mission to McDonald’s. The spot opens with a scene from Halo: Campaign Evolved, where two Marines take a tactical detour to go on a Side Mission to McDonald's. The film shows characters from the six gaming titles convening in McDonald's, having also left their games. The film will run across TV, social and digital, with supporting cutdowns.
Tim Kenward, Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer, McDonald’s UK & Ireland, said: "Gaming is all about imagination and the worlds we love to get lost in. What excites me about this partnership is that we're bringing parts of these iconic gaming worlds to life, giving fans the chance to experience food they have only ever seen on screen. As a huge Fallout fan, I’m most excited for the Blamco Cheesy Potato Bites."
