McDonald’s Streamlines Packaging

The fast-food giant wants to simplify its messaging to reinvigorate its brand.

January 08, 2016

OAK BROOK, Ill. – Starting this month, McDonald’s is unveiling a new look in its bags, cups and boxes, Fast Company reports. Gone is the busy artwork, slogans, graphics and QR codes. Now the chain is focusing on less-is-more with its packaging design.

“The packaging is intended to create noticeable change for our customers, and I’m hoping it makes them feel better about their choice of going to McDonald’s,” Matt Biespiel, the company’s senior director of global brand development, said. “Unlike other [branding] categories, you receive packaging after you’ve already made the purchase. The thought for me is, this is about reinforcing the purchase decision—having people feel good about walking down the street holding our bag.”

The company tapped designers from eight agencies across the globe to work together on the new packaging. “As we went through the process and iterations and as we brought consumers into that process of co-creating the designs with us, more and more what we heard from consumers is be true, be bold, be McDonald’s,” Biespiel said.

The new design features lively colors, such as bright pink, neon orange, red, sky blue and acid green. The brown paper bags have huge golden arches wrapped around them. “The entire portfolio of new graphics are a celebration of what makes McDonald’s ‘McDonald’s’ for customers,” he said. “I’m hoping that our customers will see this as being true to who we are, being bold, and, to an extent, being fashionable.”

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