McDonald’s announced today the release of its latest video campaign, featuring footage gathered during elaborate prank auditions for a nonexistent Las Vegas show. The video was created to highlight that most McDonald’s restaurants are open after midnight.
Auditions for a proposed zombie-inspired musical spectacular, tentatively titled “Hunger in the Night,” were held on June 6, 2014. After announcing an open casting, a production crew filmed dozens of hopeful actors singing, dancing and acting out their most convincing impressions of creatures of the night in hopes of being cast in the show. Footage of consenting talent was later utilized to create a video montage of the most entertaining “Hunger in the Night” auditions in an effort to promote McDonald’s After Midnight menu options. The video can be viewed and shared at http://youtu.be/dR_64qQ7c2U.
The casting was staged at the Arts Factory in the heart of downtown Las Vegas during the city’s monthly First Friday art walk event celebrating the arts and the downtown community. The show was promoted as the first of its kind in Las Vegas to utilize crowdsourcing to create its cast.
At the time of the open casting for the “Hunger in the Night” production, McDonald’s perceived involvement in the social experiment was limited to credit as a corporate sponsor that was underwriting the show.
To promote “Hunger in the Night,” McDonald’s outreach strategy incorporated advertisements, media support and branded promotional materials, including a wrapped tour bus to attract participants to the open casting.
“McDonald’s is always looking for creative ways to engage our customers,” said James Vance, president of the Greater Las Vegas Operator Association. “We recognize the growing popularity of social media and felt the ‘Hunger in the Night’ video would be an inventive and memorable way to encourage people to experience McDonald’s After Midnight menu.”