*Image credit to Jeff Rooks
The fast food giant has placed these mobile barcodes on packages sold at the Olympics Park location.
Throughout the London 2012 Olympic Games, McDonald’s is printing QR codes on all of the food packaging that it sells at the Olympics Park location in order to provide consumers with easier access to nutritional information.
This allows customers to obtain the sourcing and nutritional information with their smartphones.
McDonald’s doesn’t intend to limit its use of QR codes to this single event, but is simply using it as a jumping off point, so that it will be able to spread throughout the rest of the United Kingdom and then worldwide by 2013. This will be an important element of the fast food restaurant’s campaign to help consumers to make more informed choices from their menus.
The company is using the QR codes to help to increase transparency, which is important to consumers.
According to McDonald’s global chief brand officer and executive vice president, Kevin Newell, who spoke at an Olympic restaurant event, “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.”
During the games, the restaurant chain has also launched a multimedia campaign that will focus on the experience of six team members from McDonald’s, who are recording their experiences of the Olympic Games, such as their visits to London and actually attending some of the events.
The goal is to provide the unique perspective of the employees who are working at the various McDonald’s restaurants at the Olympics throughout the London 2012 Games, and to celebrate the involvement they have.
Another feature that the corporation is adding is the introduction of a recipe website online, which is accessible by QR codes and hosted by its chefs. This element of the Olympic Champions of Food campaign encourages families to enjoy the experience of preparing food together, and provides them with “wholesome” meal ideas that can be prepared at home.
