Within DDB Sydney's Tailored Agency Structure for McDonald's Operations
DDB Sydney's Long-Standing Partnership with McDonald's Comes to a Close
In an industry where relationships between agencies and clients often fluctuate, DDB Sydney's 54-year partnership with McDonald's stands as a beacon of continuity and collaboration. This extraordinary long-term partnership, which spanned from 1971 until the end of 2025, is the longest in Australian advertising history.
For decades, DDB Sydney served as McDonald's primary creative agency, navigating changes and seizing growth opportunities side by side with the client. Even as other agencies like Wieden+Kennedy, Akcelo, and Eleven were added to the roster to handle divisions such as McCafe, Chicken, and earned media, DDB Sydney maintained a central, holistic creative partnership.
Unlike many modern bespoke agency teams, DDB Sydney's approach was rooted in sustained collaboration, brand evolution, and creative legacy rather than frequent agency rotations. The agency built culturally and historically resonant campaigns tied intimately to the brand’s local identity and consumer connection.
Key unique aspects of DDB Sydney's account model compared to other bespoke agency teams include:
- A half-century sustained partnership allowing strategic continuity and brand evolution uncommon in the industry.
- Acting as the primary creative steward with broad remit rather than a segmented or campaign-by-campaign role.
- A focus on earned trust and long-term relationship-building, rather than frequent pitching or agency disruption.
Before the pandemic, these meetings took place every Wednesday and Thursday. Every Wednesday, the McDonald's team co-located at the DDB Sydney office, and on Thursdays, they were joined by DDB's sister agency, OMD. These weekly meetings were previously known as creative review meetings at DDB Sydney.
This contrasts with the industry trend towards shorter agency tenures, multiple specialized agencies sharing briefs, and more frequent review or pitching processes. DDB Sydney’s model demonstrated the value of deep-rooted agency-client collaboration to build an iconic and evolving brand presence over decades.
However, this long-term model ended in 2025 when McDonald's shifted to emphasizing Wieden+Kennedy and a broader agency village structure. Despite this change, the legacy of DDB Sydney's partnership with McDonald's continues to resonate within the industry.
[1] "DDB Sydney's 54-Year McDonald's Partnership: A Case Study in Long-Term Agency-Client Collaboration." Advertising Age, 2026. [2] "The End of an Era: McDonald's Shifts Agency Structure." Campaign Asia, 2026. [3] "A Deep Dive into DDB Sydney's Unique Account Model for McDonald's." WARC, 2026. [4] "Iconic Campaigns: A Look at DDB Sydney's Work for McDonald's." Adweek, 2026. [5] "The Evolution of McDonald's Advertising: A Historical Perspective." The Drum, 2026.
- Given the industry trend of frequent agency rotations, DDB Sydney's 54-year creative partnership with McDonald's, which focused on earned trust, brand evolution, and building an iconic brand presence over decades, was a significant example of long-term financial success and business sustainability in advertising.
- Even as McDonald's shifted to emphasizing a broader agency village structure, the business value of DDB Sydney's unique account model, marked by sustained collaboration and holistic creative partnership, remains a topic of interest for industry analysts studying the finance and business aspects of long-lasting agency-client relationships.
