McDonald’s MY gets fun with mushroom wigs and wordplay for 'Da-wan' campaign

McDonald’s Malaysia has launched its latest mushroom sauce menu items with a quirky local twist. For the introduction of four new mushroom sauce limited-time offer products, the brand rolled out the “Musim Cendawan” (mushroom season) concept, a celebration of all things mushroom, including a breakfast option.

Teasing the release of the new menu, the brand leaned into the side of mystery with a digital billboard feature. In the video, an outline of what seems to be a mushroom at first, but is later revealed to be a man with a mushroom-shaped hairstyle. With no clues given as to what the mushroom-headed man is about, the words "25 Sep 2025" and the iconic golden arches appears across the screen. 

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Soon, the new mushroom menu – a chicken burger, beef burger, and the big breakfast plate doused in mushroom sauce, was unveiled across McDonald's social pages. Along with the reveal was a series of social videos including a "dramatic" short video about a man looking for something new for his breakfast fix, as a new "season" arrives at McDonald's. Besides a series of other videos showing the "sos meleleh" (melty and oozy sauce), another short spot depicted two mushroom-headed people enjoying the burgers. 

The campaign was executed in collaboration with the brand's agencies, Leo Malaysia, C27, and OMD. 

Barry Victor, senior client and creative partner for McDonald's, at Leo Malaysia, explained to A+M that the team leaned into wordplay and visuals to make the campaign feel playful and locally relevant. By twisting cendawan into “Da-wan” and introducing the cheeky “mushroom hairstyle,” the campaign took on a fun, familiar personality, creating opportunities for social content and OOH executions.

OOH has remained a key part of the campaign, continuing McDonald’s history of eye-catching and mysterious billboards. Victor said the objective is not just visibility but sparking conversation: “When we drop something bold or mysterious on a billboard, it’s like a little wink to Malaysians on the road. That sense of play and participation makes the moment more rewarding.” He added that OOH today is also meant to live beyond the streets: “The best billboards don’t stay outdoors; they get snapped, shared, and memed into the digital space. It reminds people that Mekdi is part of their real, everyday landscape.”

Beyond ATL (above the line) and DOOH (digital out-of-home), McDonald’s Malaysia is extending the “Da-wan” experience with a three-week activation called “Misi cari Da-wan” (The find Da-wan mission), offering prizes and playful contests. The initiative has been described the initiative as a way to create fun and shareable moments, built into a cultural wave which Malaysians can join. Victor added that the campaign is designed to make it feel like cendawans are “popping up everywhere".

In July, McDonald’s Malaysia made a bold statement this International French Fry Day by transforming Kuala Lumpur’s "golden triangle" into a golden tribute to the french fry, with a staged DOOH takeover at the heart of Bukit Bintang. Crowds drew in with synchronised display across major digital billboards, as the spectacle bathed the shopping district in warm golden hues, with visuals of McDonald’s signature fries lighting up every major screen in the area.

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