Ellie wants to play a game of ‘reindeers’ but her older sister Jenny is not interested and slams the door shut, reminding Ellie: "you’re not a reindeer – grow up!"
Dad feels sorry for Ellie – who is sad and sitting by herself in a snowy backyard. Suddenly, a reindeer jumps out to play with the child.
When Ellie runs out of ‘Reindeer Treats’ to feed Archie, the whole family set off to McDonald’s to buy more.
At the Drive-Thru, the animation turns into real life and we learn that Archie is actually the family pet dog wearing reindeer antlers and a tutu.
The family order more ‘Reindeer Treats’, which we are told are really McNuggets. McDonald’s will be giving out ‘Reindeer Treats’ for free on Christmas Eve.
Conceptually, there are some similarities between the spot and John Lewis' Monty the Penguin advert in 2014.
The creative agency was Leo Burnett with production carried out by Passion Animation Studio (animation) and Outsider (live action). OMD will handle media buying and Red Consultancy will provide PR support.
"We’re proud of the role we play in getting the nation Reindeer Ready each Christmas and this year is no exception," McDonald’s UK and Ireland marketing director Ben Fox said.
"We’re celebrating the magic of Christmas through the eyes of Ellie, an imaginative little girl, in an advert which illustrates scenes recognised by parents across the country, as the whole family comes together to get Reindeer ready. We hope the public enjoy Ellie and Archie’s adventure as much as we do."
