The Crispy Tattoo Island
Open the game- Brand
- McDonald's
- Year
- 2023
- Objective
- Product launch
- Industry
- Food & drink
- Mechanic
- Clicker
Objective
McDonald's Italy launched The Crispy Tattoo campaign in March 2023 to promote the Crispy McBacon sandwich by engaging millennials and Gen Z players in the metaverse through Roblox. The brand sought to combine gaming culture with real-world product advocacy, creating a multi-touchpoint experience that would drive both brand awareness and consumer engagement beyond traditional advertising.
Solution
The Crispy Tattoo Island was a custom-built Roblox map centered around a branded tattoo studio where players spawned. Gameplay relied on a click-progression system that accumulated "burger" currency, which unlocked map progression, power-ups, and exclusive McDonald's-themed tattoo designs for avatars. Rarer tattoo designs required more extensive gameplay completion. The campaign leveraged five major Italian influencers (Fedez, Surry, Stepny, Roby, and Jenny) who streamed gameplay and hosted in-game meet-and-greets with followers able to unlock talent-inspired exclusive tattoos. Physical activation events in Rome (April 26) and Milan (April 30) allowed fans to receive permanent tattoos inspired by the Crispy McBacon sandwich. The campaign extended across Instagram filters and TikTok branded effects, with a later "Summerdays" update adding mini-games and gameplay expansion.
Results
The Crispy Tattoo Island campaign engaged over 7,000 participants and saw 6,000+ users take in-game selfies on Roblox. The campaign achieved a 94% satisfaction rating and generated 3 million+ combined reach across YouTube and Instagram.
