Digital Experiences Inside McDonald’s New Global Headquarters

Since 1971, McDonald’s global headquarters was based in Chicago’s Oak Brook suburb. That campus served as the epicenter for the iconic brand, symbolizing McDonald’s and all it had come to represent.

In 2018, McDonald’s Headquarters (MHQ) was relocated into Chicago’s burgeoning West Loop. To maximize that development toward a newer, better McDonald’s, company executives envisioned a highly impressive digital transformation.

Combining the expertise of architecture firm Gensler with Studio O+A and IA Interior Architects, each touch of the 480,000-square-foot interior was highly considered. Specialized creative agency Leviathan and McDonald's Agency OneTwentyThree partnered to create the thoughtful designs and digital experiences to illuminate MHQ from the ground floor up.

Matching McDonald’s passions for innovation, these interactive experiences had to capitalize on the company’s history, amplify its ambitious initiatives, and connect the brand more vibrantly with employees and customers.

McDonald’s leaders had numerous ideas for information they wanted to display throughout MHQ, ranging from simple welcome boards to details promoting corporate initiatives.

Prescribing a holistic approach to these communications focal points, Leviathan designed each state-of-the-art digital experience to reinvigorate employee culture and engage the community in ways that promote healthy change for humans and the environment.

While each experience exists within MHQ, individual touchpoints draw content from different business units within the organization governed by unique identity and messaging standards. Leviathan brought this together in a cohesive way and built experiences to facilitate consistent interaction throughout, designing each installation with the ability to scale in content and into different locations.