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McDonald?s tries its hand at mobile rich media

McDonald?s is no stranger to mobile advertising and has relied on the channel heavily throughout the year. Instead of going the traditional banner ad route, the fast food giant is incorporating rich-media into the mix to promote a variety of products, most notably its 20-piece chicken nuggets.

The company is running the mobile ad within Pandora?s iPhone application. Mobile advertising is an effective channel for the company to increase awareness for its new products, as well as entice consumers to try them out in-person, ultimately helping the company bolster foot traffic to its locations.

"From a consumer psychology perspective, McDonald?s new mobile ad campaign is a smart and valuable idea for users," said Isabella Lin, content director at Appitalism, New York.

"When people who watch sports games or listen to Pandora subconsciously think they should eat a snack, they are in a completely relaxed state of mind," she said. "McDonald?s new mobile ad campaign could even move someone who does not like Chicken McNuggets that much to try it once in a while on the spur of the moment."

Ms. Lin is not affiliated with McDonald?s. She commented based on her expertise on the subject.

McDonald?s did not respond to press inquiries.

Game on
McDonald?s is running expandable, full-page and audio ads within Pandora.

The campaign centers around the fast food giant?s 20-piece chicken nuggets and encourages consumers to get ready for game day.

When users tap on the mobile ad they are redirected to a mobile landing page that features a football field, the company?s chicken nuggets, as well as a screen that continually blasts different messages including ?Grab It,? ?Dunk It? and ?Score.?

From there, consumers can learn more about the company?s products, check out current promotions and browse the McDonald?s menu to check out sandwich, salad, snack and beverage items.

There is also a Careers section that lets consumers search restaurant and corporate opportunities, as well as a Locations tab that uses the device?s GPS technology to help users find the nearest McDonald?s location.

"The banner ad shows a timely taste and appropriate deal with strong imagery," Ms. Lin said. "Relevance is the key.

"Mobile users think and decide on impulse in moments, the moment they need it," she said. "Anyways this mobile ad campaign could develop more sales for the McDonalds brand in long run.

"If they can improve the rate of these kind of small purchases, they would be integrating themselves even further into the user's life."

Past efforts
McDonald?s has been working hard to dominate the mobile advertising space over the past year.

Earlier this year, McDonald?s relied on mobile advertising to promote its triple cheeseburger for only $2. The campaign ran within the Rolling Stone mobile site (see story).

In October, the company further cemented its place in the mobile advertising industry with a campaign that not only educated consumers about its Monopoly promotion but also let them enter on the spot. 

McDonald?s used mobile video and landing pages in the campaign as an interactive touchpoint for consumers (see story).

Most recently, the fast food giant unveiled its sixth iAd campaign, which not only promoted the company?s products, but took advantage of the device?s capabilities to offer a more interactive experience (see story).

"This new mobile advertising is more than just a marketing tool, it?s also ideal for delivering customer service and integration into the consumer's life," Ms. Lin said.

"McDonald?s new mobile ad campaign also reminds the users to buy some McDonald's Chicken McNuggets to get ready for watch the game," she said.

Final Take
Rimma Kats is associate editor on Mobile Marketer, New York