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The world's only float-through McDonalds thumbnail2:34

The world's only float-through McDonalds

What to study

Expectation Violation

  • Float-through bends the familiar drive-through, so the idea makes sense instantly and still sounds absurd.
  • The arches sign, the paper bag on his lap and the inflatable boat show it really happened.
  • It looks like a fun afternoon, which is half the appeal.
How the packaging works
Title

'World's only' makes it a one-of-a-kind place worth seeing, and naming McDonald's ties the novelty to a brand viewers everywhere can picture.

Thumbnail

With no caption, the photo does the explaining, and the paper bag on Tom's lap is the detail that turns a boat trip into a fast-food run.

Remix this

When you find an everyday service done in an unlikely way, name it by bending the familiar word, and show yourself mid-experience holding the proof. Let the photo carry it without a caption.

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The transferable lesson

Bend a familiar word to name an unlikely twist, so viewers grasp it instantly and still find it absurd.

NicheTravelFood & Dining
Click driverExpectation ViolationBorrowed RecognitionScale & Specificity
Visual signalPhotography

Turn this reference into your next thumbnail brief

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  1. 1 Start with your video idea
  2. 2 Define your title, promise and thumbnail
  3. 3 Share your finished brief with your designer
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