The largest McDonald's franchisee, Arcos Dorados Comércio de Alimentos, partnered with technology and entertainment company Spotify to create a new customer experience using familiar "tools." The tray liner and french fries became a fun and musical moment with the help of mobile technology.
Objective and Context:
The "FriesList" campaign was designed to create a new customer experience by combining mobile technology with things found in every McDonald's restaurant. Customers could unlock special Spotify playlists by arranging their french fries in the pattern printed on their paper tray liner. The idea was intended to engage customers in a fun new way.
Target Audience:
The target audience was primarily young people who are passionate about music. This target uses of technology and is attracted to new trends. They are a generation that is accustomed to multitasking, so why not offer an interactive and fun moment while they are eating?
Creative Strategy:
Spotify Codes work similarly to QR codes; users can snap a photo of them to enable a special playlist. Arcos printed an outline for a Spotify Code on tray liners, and customers were encouraged to line up french fries in the spaces. Customers could look for the right sized-fries, take a bite to make them fit perfectly, or even steal one from a friend. Once the fries were arranged according to the tray liner's design, customers could use their phone and the Spotify app to access playlists known as "frieslists."
Overall Campaign Execution:
The idea integrated traditional media in the form of the McDonald's tray liners with innovative media (smartphones and Spotify). The campaign began in April 2019 in Brazil and Colombia.
Mobile Execution:
By integrating traditional media with mobile media, the brand could reach thousands of people every day. The activation realized the potential of tray liners. They are more than something to place a meal on. They are a massive media platform. Through Spotify, the tray liners became a digital radio station, and there were no additional costs to the brand because McDonald's always serves its meals on tray liners for hygienic purposes.
On the first day of the initiative, Arcos measured a 28 percent increase in sales, a 47 percent increase in transaction volume, and a 250 percent change in daily streams.
The idea reached millions of consumers in Latin America. In Brazil alone, there are nine million tray liners printed daily. Each user listened to the playlists for an average of 15.2 minutes. Frieslists achieved the main goal of increasing consumer engagement through innovation. The program is now being extended to other countries in the region.
