Picnics on a sunny day are hard to beat.
Despite changeable weather, bugs and the impracticality of lugging a basket of food, cutlery and a blanket to sit on, thousands of people swap the dining room for the great outdoors during the summer.
When we think of picnics, we think of sandwiches, humus, sausage rolls, packets of crisps and maybe a few pieces of fruit, but very rarely would we associate picnics with fast food.
In a simple but clever brand activation with a strong social media element, McDonald’s Sweden turned the traditional picnic on its head to build awareness of its McDelivery service.
Getting itself a slice of the picnic pie, the brand created a picnic blanket like no other. Fitted with a QR code, the unusual blanket could share its geolocation through the McDelivery service which is compatible with leading food delivery companies like Uber Eats.
Through the cutting-edge technology, an order could be placed with the nearest McDonald’s, ready to be delivered to people outdoors wherever they were; on the beach, in the park or at an event. Freshly prepared burgers delivered straight to their blanket, without taking a single step.
The McDelivery service is only available in Sweden and the blankets sadly weren’t for sale. But much to the fans’ delight a limited number were available to win through the brand’s social channels.
The impactful stunt made it even easier for people to enjoy McDonald’s food and picnics provide great Instagram content, opening up further opportunities for sharing the campaign online.
By offering customers the chance to eat a tasty McDonald’s burger in a picturesque park or on a white-sands beach, the brand gave customers the chance to experience its food in a completely new way, helping to build brand love.
Sofie Lager, marketing manager at McDonald’s Sweden, explained: “We love to surprise our guests with new, innovative solutions that make it easier for them to enjoy our food. We have already seen McDelivery’s success since its launch about a year ago, and now we want to give everyone out enjoying the summer the possibility to get their Big Mac or Happy Meal straight to the picnic blanket without moving an inch.”
This isn’t the first time McDonald’s has gone the extra mile to bring hungry customers its food. The Drive Truck, a drive-thru on wheels went directly to consumers in Brazil, cutting out the competition from other fast-food restaurants by offering complete convenience.
In another campaign, free burgers were dispensed from a vending machine offering yet another option for consumers to get their McDonald’s fix.