The Challenge
With the viral Grimace Shake launching in Singapore, the window to capture attention was narrow, and the competition for Gen Z eyeballs fierce. The real challenge: turning passive buzz into active app downloads and measurable engagement.
Gamification Meets the City Grid
Through Adzymic's partnership with Stellar Ace, McDonald's activated premium DOOH inventory at Singapore's highest-footfall Gen-Z locations — Dhoby Ghaut, Bugis, Singapore Management University, and the Central Business District — unlocking premium DOOH screens that few platforms can offer advertisers directly.
Adzymic's DCO engine then did the heavy lifting on creative — powering three real-time sequences that made every exposure feel personal and timely:
🚌 Live bus arrival data challenged commuters to beat the clock: "Play a game with Grimace before your bus arrives"
🌡️ Temperature-triggered creatives dynamically swapped messaging when the heat peaked — making a cold Grimace Shake feel like a necessity, not a treat
🍔 Rotating menu carousel showcased the full Grimace special lineup for discovery
Engaging Users with AR
Scanning the QR code on the DOOH ad activated an AR game experience — Grimace emerges from the screen into the real world. Beat the game, unlock a reward.
Existing app users were deep-linked directly into the app for redemption. New users were directed to download first — a clear conversion pathway from physical interaction to app acquisition.
Beyond DOOH: A Connected Omnichannel Strategy
The campaign extended beyond the screen. Mobile devices of users in the vicinity of DOOH ads were captured for retargeting. Non-converters were systematically re-engaged with personalised Grimace offers — a seamless journey from DOOH exposure to gameplay, to app acquisition and sales conversion.
High-Impact Skinner Ads
High-impact Skinners on the APX premium ad network — Mediacorp, SPH, TheSmartLocal, Carousell and more. The gamified concept extended to mobile takeover banners, creating another route to interaction and in-app conversions. Audiences engaged with premium display executions were captured for retargeting.
Standard Display
Adzymic's DCO powers contextualised, personalised messaging across standard display banners — retargeting users from DOOH and Skinner exposure alongside McDonald's first-party app database to drive last-mile conversion at scale.
The Results
- 3X higher CTR from DOOH-retargeted audiences vs. other segments
- 97% lower CPA from retargeted DOOH audiences
- +13% year-on-year increase in daily active users
- ~1% new user conversion rate from total game plays — incremental acquisition, not just re-engagement
When omnichannel reach meets personalised messaging and creatives, outdoor advertising stops broadcasting — and starts converting.