McDonald’s adds QR codes for Olympics

McDonald’s is to put QR codes on all food packaging sold at its Olympics Park venue during the Games to give customers access to nutritional information about its products, one of a number of innovations unveiled today (26 July) on the eve of the start of the Olympics.

McDonalds's Olympic restaurant

The initiative, which allows customers to access nutritional and sourcing information about each product via a smartphone, will be rolled out to the rest of the UK and worldwide by 2013. It will complement the mobile app that McDonald’s already has to help consumers make better menu choices.

Speaking at an event at the Olympic restaurant, Kevin Newell executive vice-president and global chief brand officer at McDonald’s, said: “We know that transparency about ingredients is very important to our customers. Putting QR codes on our packaging adds a whole new dimension to our nutrition information that’s available here at the London Olympics. We’re taking a step forward with QR codes that gives a deeper look at that information.”

The fast-food retailer will also launch a multimedia campaign during the Games that will see six of its McDonald’s team members record their experiences of the Games such as attending events and visiting London.

It aims to show London 2012 from the perspective of employees working at its Olympic restaurants and celebrate their involvement.

McDonald’s is introducing an online recipe site, hosted by its chefs as part of its Olympic Champions of Food activity, in a bid to get families to enjoy cooking together and give them ideas for “wholesome” meals they can make at home.

Speaking to Marketing Week at the event, Newell says that McDonald’s wants to do more to educate families that the food it uses in its restaurants is the same food that they have at home.

He added: “We care about what you eat in our restaurants but we also care about what you eat at home.”

Elsewhere, McDonald’s is also trialling a range of fruit smoothies at the restaurant in the Olympic Park. The smoothies are already a feature of the US menu, and are also being trialled a limited number of restaurants in Wales ahead of a potential national roll out.

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