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McDonalds “Brotherly Love” 1999

McDonalds “Brotherly Love” (1999) is a McDonalds commercial directed by Kirk Jones for Leo Burnett, produced by Tomboy Films. It won one award: D&AD 1999 Wood Pencil — TV & Cinema Advertising Crafts / Direction.

A younger brother tries to cheer up his older sister by secretly buying her a Happy Meal, showing brotherly love.

Video: Tomboy Films on Vimeo

Shot by shot

  1. A father and son sit on a couch in their living room, watching TV, as another person walks up the stairs in the background.© McDonalds0:00
  2. A young girl with red hair looks down sadly as her younger brother, a boy with brown hair, enters the room and looks at her with concern.© McDonalds0:03
  3. McDonalds “Brotherly Love”, shot 4© McDonalds0:07
  4. McDonalds “Brotherly Love”, shot 5© McDonalds0:10
  5. A young boy with big ears and a plaid shirt looks surprised, then turns his head and walks away from the camera in a home interior.© McDonalds0:13
  6. A young woman with reddish-brown hair and light makeup is shown in profile, looking down with a neutral expression in a warm-toned interior.© McDonalds0:15
  7. A man in an orange shirt and a boy in a black jacket are seen on a staircase in a house, with the man pulling the boy up the stairs.© McDonalds0:20
  8. A young girl with short brown hair sits on her bed in a messy bedroom, looking off-camera with a neutral expression.© McDonalds0:22
  9. A young boy with brown hair and a grey hooded jacket looks directly at the camera, his expression shifting slightly, in an interior setting.© McDonalds0:25
  10. McDonalds “Brotherly Love”, shot 17© McDonalds0:27
  11. A close-up shot shows a person's fingers holding a shiny copper coin, with a dark, blurry background.© McDonalds0:34
  12. A child's hand drops a coin into a grey astronaut-shaped piggy bank with a pink face, on a cluttered desk in a bedroom.© McDonalds0:34

Stills © McDonalds. Made by Leo Burnett, Tomboy Films and Kirk Jones.

Every shot, full-quality frames and clips, and search across every commercial. Free account.

The idea

Brotherly love expressed through a Happy Meal gift.

Tagline: “Did somebody say McDonald's?”

sibling bondsecret giftchildhood innocencecomfort foodproblem-solutionemotional support

The cut

Length
40 s
Shots
20
Average shot
2.0 s

What creatives use McDonalds “Brotherly Love” for

  1. 01Reference frames for your treatment

    Pitching something with the feel of McDonalds “Brotherly Love”? A screenshot from a video player won't hold up in a deck.

    Download any frame of this spot at full quality, with its credits, or search every spot for the same look.

    A father and son sit on a couch in their living room, watching TV, as another person walks up the stairs in the background.© McDonaldsA young girl with red hair looks down sadly as her younger brother, a boy with brown hair, enters the room and looks at her with concern.© McDonaldsMcDonalds “Brotherly Love”, 0:07© McDonaldsMcDonalds “Brotherly Love”, 0:10© McDonalds
    Frames from McDonalds “Brotherly Love”

  2. 02Shot list example: how it was cut

    You need the structure of a great spot, shot by shot, for your storyboard.

    Every shot of McDonalds “Brotherly Love” in order, with its length, framing and what happens in it.

    A father and son sit on a couch in their living room, watching TV, as another person walks up the stairs in the background.© McDonaldsA young girl with red hair looks down sadly as her younger brother, a boy with brown hair, enters the room and looks at her with concern.© McDonaldsMcDonalds “Brotherly Love”, 0:07© McDonaldsMcDonalds “Brotherly Love”, 0:10© McDonaldsA young boy with big ears and a plaid shirt looks surprised, then turns his head and walks away from the camera in a home interior.© McDonaldsA young woman with reddish-brown hair and light makeup is shown in profile, looking down with a neutral expression in a warm-toned interior.© McDonalds
    Length: 40 s · Shots: 20 · Average shot: 2.0 s

  3. 03Ad ideas: every spot built on a sibling bond

    Before you present an idea, you need to know who has done it, and how.

    McDonalds “Brotherly Love” is built on a sibling bond. Search the library by idea to see every spot that uses it.

    Save the Children “Save the Survivors”© Save the ChildrenHallmark Cards “Jeffrey's Secret”© Hallmark CardsGuinness “Barnes Sisters”© GuinnessHallmark “Brother of the Bride”© Hallmark
    Save the Children · Hallmark Cards · Guinness · Hallmark

More commercials by Kirk Jones

  • Reebok "Dennis" (1998) commercial still© ReebokReebok “Dennis” 1998Dir. Kirk JonesD&AD Wood Pencil 1998
  • Department of Education "Your Future - Their Future" (2015) commercial still© Department of EducationDepartment of Education “Your Future - Their Future” 2015Dir. Kirk Jones · FCB
  • Domino's "Pizza Birds" (2014) commercial still© Domino'sDomino's “Pizza Birds” 2014Dir. Kirk Jones · Iris

More from Leo Burnett

Award-winning food & qsr commercials

  • Uber Eats "A Century of Cravings" (2025) commercial still© Uber EatsUber Eats “A Century of Cravings” 2025Dir. Jim Jenkins · SpecialEffie Awards Grand Prix 2026
  • Uber Eats + Special US "Football is for Food" (2025) commercial still© Uber Eats + Special USUber Eats + Special US “Football is for Food” 2025Dir. Jim Jenkins · SpecialEffie Awards Grand Prix 2026
  • DoorDash "DoorDash All the Ads" (2024) commercial still© DoorDashDoorDash “DoorDash All the Ads” 2024Dir. Mike Diva · Wieden+KennedyCannes Lions Titanium 2024
  • Skittles "Apologize the Rainbow" (2023) commercial still© SkittlesSkittles “Apologize the Rainbow” 2023DDBLondon International Awards Grand Prix 2023
  • Burger King "As Good as the Original" (2023) commercial still© Burger KingBurger King “As Good as the Original” 2023Dubai Lynx Grand Prix 2023
  • Cadbury Celebrations "My SRK Ad" (2023) commercial still© Cadbury CelebrationsCadbury Celebrations “My SRK Ad” 2023Dir. Divij Kulkarni · OgilvyEffie Awards Grand Prix 2023

Questions

Who directed the McDonalds “Brotherly Love” commercial?

Kirk Jones directed it, produced by Tomboy Films, for the agency Leo Burnett.

Which agency made McDonalds “Brotherly Love”?

Leo Burnett created it for McDonalds (1999).

What awards did McDonalds “Brotherly Love” win?

1 awards, including D&AD 1999 Wood Pencil — TV & Cinema Advertising Crafts / Direction.

What is the tagline of McDonalds “Brotherly Love”?

“Did somebody say McDonald's?”

Sources for the credits and awards

dandad.org