Peel Back to Give Back

During my summer internship at The Marketing Store in Chicago, I took part in a competitive internship challenge where two teams were tasked with reimagining the the iconic McDonald’s Monopoly promotion. As McDonald’s is a major client of The Marketing Store, the project provided a real-world example of the type of work the agency delivers daily. Within my team, I led several key components of the project, including UI design for the mobile experience, packaging development, creative ideation, visual design, and copywriting.

Our winning concept, titled “Peel Back to Give Back”, maintained the nostalgic peel-game mechanic that McDonald’s customers know and love, while introducing a new philanthropic layer. We integrated charitable donations as instant-win prizes, allowing customers to contribute between $1 and $100 to selected causes. The user journey was built around a simple and engaging three-step process: Peel, Play, Give. This approach made it easy for customers to participate in the game while supporting meaningful social impact.

The concept was carefully crafted to meet several strategic goals. It aimed to enhance McDonald’s brand perception through a focus on social responsibility, increase customer engagement, drive sales, and boost adoption of the McDonald’s global mobile app. By blending the excitement of gameplay with purpose-driven giving, our team developed a unique promotional experience that appealed to both consumers and corporate stakeholders.

The strength of our strategy and the clarity of our execution ultimately led our team to win the competition. Our concept offered a fresh and socially conscious direction for one of McDonald’s most recognizable campaigns.