Quick Answer
McDonald’s “Horizontal Breakfast” is an OOH and film campaign that literally turns advertising sideways to mirror how people feel the morning after the Super Bowl.
Designed for the morning after
The Super Bowl doesn’t end when the game does. For millions of people, the real experience continues the next morning—slow, horizontal and spent on the couch. McDonald’s taps directly into that moment with Horizontal Breakfast, a campaign built around how people actually feel the day after a big night.
Instead of upright, energetic advertising, McDonald’s embraces lethargy and recovery as the core insight. McDonald’s turns a shared routine into outdoor advertising. “The Horizontal Breakfast” acknowledges that breakfast isn’t a reward—it’s the first step to being vertical. A smart example of OOH that connects through experience, not promotion.
Turning advertising sideways
At the heart of the campaign is a 15-second film designed to be viewed sideways. The rotated format mirrors the physical posture of post-Super Bowl viewers, turning orientation itself into the joke.
The idea extends beyond film into out-of-home placements and social content, where copy and layouts reinforce the same visual language. The message is clear: if you’re still horizontal, you’re exactly where this ad expects you to be.
Breakfast as the first step to being vertical
Lines like “McDonald’s breakfast is the first step to being vertical” frame the brand not as fuel for productivity, but as comfort and recovery. There’s no rush, no performance pressure—just the promise that breakfast helps you get going again, at your own pace.
Rather than selling ingredients or deals, the campaign sells empathy.
A cultural moment, not a product push
Horizontal Breakfast works because it doesn’t fight the mood of the moment—it amplifies it. By aligning with a universally understood post-Super Bowl feeling, McDonald’s turns a cultural hangover into a brand-owned ritual.
The result is advertising that feels less like an interruption and more like a knowing nod from the couch.
Instead of shouting louder during Super Bowl season, McDonald’s leans into the quiet, couch-bound reality of the morning after. Horizontal Breakfast flips ads, screens and billboards on their side, turning a shared cultural hangover into a relatable reason to reach for breakfast.
Summary
Instead of shouting louder during Super Bowl season, McDonald’s leans into the quiet, couch-bound reality of the morning after. Horizontal Breakfast flips ads, screens and billboards on their side, turning a shared cultural hangover into a relatable reason to reach for breakfast.
FAQs
What is McDonald’s “Horizontal Breakfast” campaign?
It’s an OOH and film campaign that flips ads sideways to reflect the way people feel the morning after the Super Bowl.
Why are the ads shown horizontally?
The rotated format mirrors the reclined posture of exhausted viewers, making the physical orientation part of the joke.
What is the main message of the campaign?
That McDonald’s breakfast is the first step to getting vertical again after a long night.
Who created the campaign?
The campaign was developed by Wieden+Kennedy New York for McDonald’s.
Where does the campaign run?
Across film, out-of-home placements and social media, all using the same sideways visual language.
FAQs about this campaign
What is McDonald’s “Horizontal Breakfast” campaign?
It’s an OOH and film campaign that flips ads sideways to reflect the way people feel the morning after the Super Bowl.
Why are the ads shown horizontally?
The rotated format mirrors the reclined posture of exhausted viewers, making the physical orientation part of the joke.
What is the main message of the campaign?
That McDonald’s breakfast is the first step to getting vertical again after a long night.
Who created the campaign?
The campaign was developed by Wieden+Kennedy New York for McDonald’s.
Where does the campaign run?
Across film, out-of-home placements and social media, all using the same sideways visual language.
Bring your idea to breakfast-time OOH
Explore formats that meet audiences in morning routines and commuter corridors.
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