McDonald's is busily remodeling its U.S. locations, accessorizing interiors with flat-panel televisions and plush chairs — even the exteriors are made of real brick these days. Now the Oak Brook, Ill., chain is turning to its packaging. In early November the king of cheap eats began rolling out new packaging across its 13,900 U.S. restaurants that aims to make the containers for its sandwiches, french fries, and soft drinks more relevant to today's consumers, and not look like a throwback to the 1990s.
The new packaging is splashed with bold text and crisp imagery. Unlike the previous no-frills white and red box, the new Big Mac container, for example, triumphantly exclaims in heavy block text, "There is only one." On one side, plucky marketing copy extols the Big Mac's height while, on another, the vegetables, cheese, and cooking utensils used in the burger's making are highlighted. The goal, says Mary Dillon, McDonald's global chief marketing officer, is to "create unique personalities for our menu items by telling a story about each one."
McDonald's is also trying to stay ahead of concerns over obesity as well as the healthfulness and safety of food supplies around the world. Full-color photographs of ingredients are intended to remind customers that, for instance, a Quarter
Pounder is, indeed, made of real food. The company's iconic red, yellow, and white French fry package now features a partially peeled potato on the front. Smaller sandwiches will retain their simpler paper wrapper, though new versions are adorned with block text similar to boxed products. Says Dillon: "This demonstrates the authenticity of the locally grown ingredients we use."
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The League is in much better shape than it was 10 years ago, but we're still waiting on the Next Jordan. It's part reflex, part messianic yearning, part laziness on the part of fans, scouts and pundits alike, and part nostalgia.
