Each month, our creative team was challenged to create social media posts that introduced new menu items, leaned into Outback’s Aussie heritage, and promoted events at the restaurant. The brand identity was quirky, fun and we were always encouraged to embrace everything own-able to the Outback – from kangaroos and ribeyes to the famous Bloomin’ Onion.

When our team was briefed on creating a look and feel for McDonald’s New Fresh Beef Quarter Pounders, we knew skepticism would be our biggest challenge. With product quality always in question, how could we educate consumers that McDonald’s is actually making a fresh, not frozen Quarter Pounder that doesn’t hit the grill until the customer says when?

After tasting the new QPC and at least 13 other burgers in less than 48 hours during a competitive research trip in Dallas, I realized we had a product that could hold it’s own. The meat was hotter. The cheese was melted to perfection. And there was actual steam coming out of the burger when I took my first bite. I was inspired and knew the Quarter Pounder lovers out there could handle the heat. That’s why we invited them into our kitchen with this Fresh Beef campaign.

Over the last couple of years, the McCafé sub-brand has evolved immensely. McDonald’s coffee went from something you pick up for convenience on the road to a destination coffee stop with drinks like Iced Caramel Macchiatos and Cappuccinos. When we were challenged to come up with a new look and feel for McCafé while introducing McDonald’s first ever Cold Brew coffee, we knew the look had to speak to our new products and the experience they bring.

McCafé had earned the credibility of a café, so the look and feel needed to evolve with what the brand had to offer. We completely redesigned the look and created a feel that delivers a coffee shop experience for McCafé that invites customers to stop and take a moment to enjoy their coffee before they start their day.

In order to spread some holiday cheer in restaurant, I created gift cards, or as McDonald’s calls them “Arch Cards.” To celebrate the great taste McDonald’s delivers, I created the “Unwrap Great Taste” card and used the brand’s most iconic and beloved product, french fries, to create the holiday wreath.