We thought we had seen every type of app and interactive billboard campaign under the sun until we came across this brilliant one from Mcdonald’s that the company ran in Sweden recently. The concept is a simple one in that users get to control the billboard and turn it in to a personal game. By completing the game in 30 seconds win coupons for free food in the nearest Mcdonald’s restaurant.
What is especially interesting about this technology is that you don’t actually have to download an app, which normally causes quite a big barrier to entry. Instead the phone picks up your location and you can join the game via a website address. Not only is this some of the most interactive and engaging marketing that we have seen in some time but it also drives people into the Mcdonald’s restaurants to redeem their coupons. It’s interesting to see more and more campaigns combining mobile and billboards and it’s a trend that we will probably see accelerating over the coming years. Hats off to Mcdonald’s on a great campaign…
Wow, that’s an interesting little scheme…Makes you think that we’ll be seeing that Statesside soon, probably at Times Square or something.
Any details on the technology behind this?
Nah, not in the US. There is probably a law against it ! Someone would play the game while crossing the street and when they are killed by a car would end up owning the nearest McDonalds Location.
bet they wont have this at our local maccy-dees !!
Great idea. Can we have this in London please?
Looks like McDonald’s is doing global social media events to really market their line – read this about the first Facebook Like House:
http://bitshare.tumblr.com/post/6198832547/mcdonalds-big-mac-like-house
@raymer If you don’t have a billboard near your maccy-dees then no, no you won’t . If you do, you still probably won’t.
@John Sembrot pmsl :)
McDonald’s have done a similar campaign like this before
http://www.mobileinc.co.uk/2010/06/mcdonalds-turns-digital-billboard-into-a-game-using-camera-phones/
And Toyota in Times Square interactive billboard using iPhone app http://www.mobileinc.co.uk/2009/10/toyota-iphone-app-uploads-your-drawings-to-times-square-billboard/
Oh and Nike in Times Square http://www.mobileinc.co.uk/2009/06/i-love-nikes-mobile-marketing/
Megaphone Labs create interactive games on billboards using mobile web, apps, phone calls http://megaphonelabs.com/
I think all fast food joints should be banned they are the reason America is so fat!
http://www.hide-your-ip.at.tc
It’s not fast foods fault at all. I eat fast food a lot but I am actually very skinny. I am not lazy, I exercise and because of that I have a high metabolism. Laziness os why America is so fat.
@Vog Voo America is not fat, just a bunch of people who live here. Stop lumping a stereotype on others.
@raymer You guys say maccy-dees? We say Mickey D’s. Odd.
I had a similar idea to this, but using QR codes to initiate the control of the screen. Here’s a proof-of-concept. http://qr-takeover.heroku.com/ Point your QR code reader at the screen and click on one of the colors. The background color on the screen should change. Very simple, but a similar idea nonetheless.
In the end of the clip you see the girl eating something gray and limp that looks nothing like the burger in the ads…
McDonalds = Lame
The size of their big mac and the drink that goes with it is pitiful.
You may turn the Swedes into freeloading couch gamers, McDonald but you will never make them fat like us Americans.
That said, simply brilliant, McDonald!
frank de koste and me had work this out in 2003, VC’ thougth we’re ALIENS! we had used bluetooth and roadmap had rfid/gps – our market entry was Casinos
Jepp. We built it on a web-sockets solution written in node.js.
Pong? So basically advertising making the public think that things are amazing by using a massive screen. Well done at not only making people fat, but stupid too.
Really a superb and innovative method of communication intended to persuade an audience.
http://funnyandspicy.com/3d-advertisement-which-is-utterly-limitless-and-totally-unforgettable-watch-it
McDonalds is the reason America is so FAT
http://www.total-privacy.no.tc
This is FireText’s software which is the foundation for their campaign http://www.firetext.com
That was great campaign . I should try it with my business.
http://www.basati.com