McDonald's play in the city

More than three stories high and taking up the entire forecourt of Customs House at Sydney’s Circular Quay, the biggest McDonald’s Playland ever constructed was on show recently.

The Playland was opened up for play to more than 300 Australians on March 29 and also today (Tuesday March 30) as a part of the filming of a McDonald’s TVC.

The largest single set ever built in Australia for a TVC, the Playland is double the size of those normally found in McDonald’s restaurants around Australia at 10 metres high by 20 metres wide.

The massive structure is set to ignite intrigue among office workers and tourists alike with tunnels that wind and loop across a 20 metre area.

“Adult life carries many restrictions so we want to remind people that McDonald’s is still a place were you can have fun, be yourself and not be judged.  A place where you feel like a kid again,” said Helen Farquhar, director of marketing, McDonald’s (ANZ). 

“This adult-sized Playland allows us to forget about the deadlines, budgets and stresses of life and just revel in this incredible childhood arcadia. And the best part is the McDonald’s characters we loved as kids are back old school style giving us the opportunity to reclaim our childhood, to look at the world through younger eyes again and just lose ourselves – if only for a minute.” 

Aimed at reigniting childhood memories, passers by will also see a three-metre tall Officer Big Mac checking the height of participants under his arm, Fillet-O-Fish bouncers, a retro Grimace cage and Hamburglar swing, as well as a Ronald McDonald bench reaching 2.5 metres in height – about double the size of an average Ronald bench found in McDonald’s restaurants.

Taking eight weeks to build mostly by hand, the Playland set was constructed by Gregsets Pty Ltd, who have also worked on the set production for blockbuster movies such as StarWars, Moulin Rouge and Australia.

A combination of design ideas from the advertisement creators DDB, production house Revolver, Rhinoplay and art director Karen Murphy; the gigantic Playland set is based on those built in McDonald’s restaurants today while including retro elements from the 1970s and 1980s.

A launch date for the campaign is yet to be confirmed.