McDonald’s transforms Monopoly experience with ticketless gameplay trial via Akcelo

The Macca’s Monopoly experience returns to Australia and New Zealand for seven weeks with a surprising new twist: some will play the game without peeling a single ticket. Digital tickets will appear instantly in a player’s ‘stash’, within a brand-new stadium-inspired game world and enhanced UI experience created by Akcelo.

This ticketless gameplay is enabled through the transformational technology of iWin, the proprietary game engine designed and managed by global marketing agency tms.

The mobile game features a roaring arena complete with live digital billboards displaying prize winners from around the country. Replacing the iconic peel, players will enjoy exciting, gaming-inspired digital ticket reveals – allowing players to seamlessly collect properties, unlock Chance cards and redeem prizes in app. Three new immersive 3D minigames await, including a motorcar stadium race and a skydive into a pool full of prizes.

Exclusively in the states of Western Australia and Tasmania, all Monopoly items will be digitally ticketed – not a single printed ticket will appear on packaging. This is a world-first trial that aims to introduce the power and possibility of digital tickets.

Customers will receive digital tickets when they purchase eligible items via the MyMacca’s app. After ordering as normal at the Drive Thru, Front Counter, and Kiosk, they simply share their MyMacca’s Rewards code. Digital tickets will also appear for eligible items when they make an order via the MyMacca’s app (including McDelivery).

For Australian states outside of the trial, digital tickets will feature on a smaller number of products in addition to those items with physical tickets, giving customers the opportunity to experience both ways to play. In New Zealand, there will only be printed tickets.

The fully ticketless trial in Western Australia and Tasmania brings to life the full potential of the MyMacca’s App ecosystem. To add excitement around this new fully digital experience, customers in these fully ticketless markets will receive a Bonus instant win prize on their first three eligible orders, in addition to their digital tickets.

This is the ninth year of partnership between tms and McDonald’s Australia & New Zealand, utilising tms’s iWin proprietary game engine technology, which delivers secure and scalable engaging customer experiences like the new Monopoly digital ticket experience and the recent Surprize Fries campaign that launched earlier this year.

Says Tobi Fukushima, national marketing manager at McDonald’s Australia: “We’re offering customers our great Macca’s value and so much more, with a chance to win cars, travel and fashion gift cards, free food delivery for a year and more. And with the introduction of digital tickets, the game is more exciting than ever. With a one in four chance to win, download the MyMacca’s app and get playing before it’s too late.”

Says Stu Nyman, digital client engagement lead, McDonald’s International at tms: “Evolving the beloved, iconic game peel experience is no easy task. Our ambition is to always evolve with customers’ habits and expectations. Pushing the limits of technology, we have developed an experience for customers which retains the seamlessness and simplicity that they have come to expect, while bringing the joy and excitement of Monopoly to the next level.”

Says Aden Hepburn, co-founder and CEO at Akcelo: “This year’s game is a world-first for Macca’s. We’ve created an all-new “ticketless” digital-only experience that allows you to play without having to peel a physical game ticket, immersing players in an incredible gaming world worthy of one of the world’s most iconic brands.”

To launch the promotion DDB Sydney’s through-the-line campaign cheekily plays on the news tropes we all love. From interviews with past winners and a behind-the- scenes look at our prize warehouse, we take Aussies’ and Kiwis’ obsessions with Macca’s MONOPOLY to the next level by introducing the ‘Winning Season News Network’- a dedicated news platform complete with a full studio, helicopter updates, and Mr. Monopoly himself celebrating winners every day, everywhere.

McDonald’s Monopoly is also supported by a host of other agencies: prize partnerships and fulfilment by Creata, media planning and buying by OMD, emails and push notifications from CRM agency Digitas, PR from Mango, and social media content by Fuze NZ.

The campaign will run in restaurants until Tuesday, 22nd October 2024.

Client: McDonald’s Australia & NZ
iWin digital gameplay mechanics & prize platform: tms
Mobile Experience: Akcelo
Creative & Social: DDB Sydney
Media: OMD Sydney & OMD NZ
PR & Influencer: Mango Communications
CRM: Digitas AU & Track NZ
Social: Fuze NZ
DCO: Adylic, Smartly, INNOVID & Flashtalking
Prize Partnerships and Fulfilment: Creata
Production Partners: Sweetshop, ARC EDIT, BUCK.