McDonald’s Leans Into Experiential OoH With Secret Menu Push

January 12, 2026 by guest author, John Berkovich

McDonald’s is expanding its use of experiential out-of-home advertising, using high-impact digital and physical executions to promote everything from its newly formalized “secret menu” to limited-time brand activations across Europe and the Middle East.

In the UK and Ireland, McDonald’s recently made its long-rumored secret menu official, supported by a creative OoH campaign that included a one-off installation on an Ocean Outdoor digital billboard in London. Branded as the “self-destructing billboard,” the execution appeared to gradually dismantle its own creative in real time, reinforcing the idea of menu items that exist outside the standard ordering experience.

Ocean Outdoor framed the campaign as an example of how large-format digital OoH can be used as a storytelling platform rather than a static advertising surface. The activation formed part of a wider secret menu rollout that McDonald’s positioned as a way to formalize fan-driven menu hacks while maintaining an element of exclusivity and discovery.

Are you hungry yet? Check out another way McDonald’s is bringing in customers:

In 2024, McDonald’s was experimenting with sensory-led OoH formats. In the Netherlands, the company had launched a “smelling billboard” that released the scent of its food into the surrounding environment, turning a traditional roadside placement into a multi-sensory brand experience. The campaign leaned into the instantly recognizable aroma of McDonald’s products, using smell as the primary driver of engagement rather than visuals alone.

In spring of 2025, McDonald’s tested a different kind of disruption in the Middle East, temporarily removing digital menu boards from select restaurants altogether. According to reporting by invidis, the campaign was designed to draw attention to how dependent quick-service environments have become on digital displays, while also prompting customers to engage more directly with staff and the brand itself during the short-term blackout.

Taken together, the campaigns point to a broader strategy that sees the Golden Arches treating OoH and in-store digital media as experiential touchpoints rather than simple information displays. From large-format digital storytelling and sensory experimentation to deliberate moments of absence, the brand continues to test how far physical and digital environments can be pushed to drive attention, conversation, and engagement.

(Image: Ocean Outdoor)