Striving to Be Seen as Hip and Relevant, McDonald’s Introduces New Packaging

Posted January 8, 2016 by Mark J. Miller

In another attempt to showcase itself as hip and relevant, McDonald’s has unveiled a new series of carry-out bags, beverage cups and sandwich boxes that have what the company calls a “simple, fresh” look that is consistent with its vision to be “a modern, progressive burger company.”

The new packaging will roll out across the US this month, then on to the brand’s more than 36,000 locations around the world as the year progresses. Its last packaging overhaul was three years ago, Ad Agenotes.

The refreshed packaging emerged from a meeting in February 2015 in London of 15 designers from eight different agencies, Fast Companyreports, including Leo Burnett Germany; TBWA U.S.; DDB Hong Kong; Creata Australia; Boxer UK; Landini Australia; and Forpeople UK.

“It’s hard to say who gets the credit for the actual design because everyone had a hand in shaping the thinking,” Matt Biespiel, McDonald’s Senior Director of Global Brand Development, told Ad Age.

Biespiel shared a look at the “Make People Smile” packaging design sprint (“Reinvented Design Process. From weeks to days. From good to great. From $$$ to $. From Yes to Wow.”) in a video titled “A Hot House for Hot Design”:

Helping to celebrate the new look, the Cabrera/Bentancourt franchisee group (which owns 20 McDonald’s restaurants in South Florida) sponsored a McDCouture Fashion Show last November. In an unconventional challenge out of Project Runway, the students from the Miami International University of Art and Design had a blast turning McDonald’s packaging into clothing and accessories.

The resulting fashion show featured runway-ready clothes, shoes and accessories designed from McDonald’s packaging. Step aside, Pizza Hut Swag — it turns out those burger wrappers can make some pretty funky dresses when you put enough of them together.

For this project, however, Cabrera/Bentancourt made things a little simpler and much brighter. McDonald’s packaging moved away from its signature golden color to embrace a wider spectrum. Two students were given 48 hours to create accessories with the new packaging— nothing anyone is likely to ever see worn out on your street in the near future.

Along with presenting itself as a fun, modern brand, McDonald’s is also using the new packaging to highlight how it’s being environmentally-conscious brand, noting that it will source 100 percent of all fiber-based packaging from recycled or certified sources by 2020.  “We’re proud of the progress we’ve made and initiatives like this are important to our customers who care about the planet,” stated Biespiel in the press release.

That’s all well and good but McDonald’s still has an uphill battle to fight. “Packaging is important when you put products on a shelf. McDonald’s does not put products on a shelf,” Scott Rothbort, chief market strategist for the Stillman School of Business at Seton Hall University, toldNewsweek. “A good deal of the products are eaten in the restaurant or car, or taken home. Changing the actual packaging has negligible impact, if any, and certainly isn’t worth the money. They need to invest in their menu.”