McDonald's Philippines made its restaurants overnight study halls for students

In the Philippines, where education is the main route to a better life, most middle- to lower-income homes are not conducive to studying: cramped space, weak internet and noise, with 79.7% of households lacking a computer and 84.3% lacking internet. Campuses and libraries close at night, leaving students nowhere focused to work.

McDonald's 24/7 stores near schools and universities had spacious, well-lit, air-conditioned party rooms that went quiet and unused through the night. Leo Burnett Manila identified 107 stores near 250+ colleges and universities and converted the rooms into free Night Classrooms, open 7pm to 6am, with study dividers, charging hubs, free WiFi, complimentary laptops and student-only meal deals.

The program drew over 73,000 sign-ups and ran for 140,000+ hours, serving an average of 700 students per store. It generated 100% positive sentiment and P1.9 million in earned media value, and lifted McDonald's 'Brand I Trust' score by 9.3 percentage points among teens and young adults in an independent Kantar TNS study.