Tag: food marketing

Track My Macca’s: Supply Chain Transparency

McDonald’s in Australia decided to use technology to tackle one of its biggest problems, the disbelief that its ingredients are fresh, locally sourced and of decent quality. So with image recognition, GPS, augmented reality and some serious integration with its supply chain, they put together a full story behind every ingredient people came across while buying food at McDonald’s.

The real challenge: trust, not awareness

This is not a campaign built to shout louder. It is built to answer the skeptical question that sits in the customer’s head at the moment of choice: “Is this actually fresh, and where did it come from”.

Instead of responding with claims, it responds with traceable context. Ingredient by ingredient.

Why the tech stack matters only if it is integrated

Image recognition, GPS, and augmented reality are the attention layer. The credibility layer is the supply chain integration. Without that, the experience would be a glossy story. With it, the experience becomes proof.

  • Image recognition. Identify what the customer is looking at or buying.
  • GPS. Connect the experience to location and local sourcing claims.
  • Augmented reality. Make information feel immediate and tangible in the buying moment.
  • Supply chain integration. Ensure the “story” maps to real sourcing and logistics data.

What makes this a strong model for brand transparency

Transparency only works when it is easy. People will not dig through PDFs or corporate sustainability pages while they are ordering lunch.

This approach brings the information to the moment and to the object. It reduces friction and increases believability.

What to take from this if you run CX, MarTech, or operations

  1. Start with the objection. The customer’s doubt defines the experience.
  2. Proof beats promise. If you want trust, show traceability, not slogans.
  3. Integrate the system of record. Experiences that depend on trust must connect to operational data.
  4. Design for the moment of choice. The best transparency is delivered exactly when people need it.

A few fast answers before you act

What is “Track My Macca’s”?

It is a McDonald’s Australia initiative that uses mobile technology to show a story behind ingredients, aiming to build trust in freshness, local sourcing, and quality.

Which technologies were used?

Image recognition, GPS, augmented reality, and strong integration with McDonald’s supply chain to connect the experience to real sourcing and logistics.

Why is supply chain integration the critical piece?

Because the experience depends on credibility. Without operational data behind it, the story would feel like marketing. With it, it can function as proof.

What customer problem does this solve?

It addresses disbelief about ingredient freshness and quality by making provenance and context visible at the point of purchase.

What is the transferable lesson for other brands?

If trust is your barrier, design transparency into the customer journey and connect it to your systems of record, so the experience can stand up to scrutiny.

Fantastic Delites: Human lab mice wheel stunt

People zip into mouse suits, step into a giant wheel, and start running. Keep the pace. Do not tumble. Hold the speed long enough and the reward drops. A free pack of Fantastic Delites, earned the hard way.

This “human lab mice” stunt from Fantastic Delites and agency Clemenger BBDO follows the earlier interactive vending machine installation, where the Delite-o-matic pushed people through button mashing and silly tasks for the same prize. The idea stays consistent. If the snack is worth it, you will work for it.

In Australian FMCG sampling, the fastest way to earn attention is to turn trial into a story people want to watch, not a handout people walk past.

The mechanism is brutally clear. The audience understands the rules in one glance, then sticks around for the inevitable slips, recoveries, and wipeouts. That is what makes it shareable. The product is the trophy, but the entertainment is the price of entry.

Why the “lab mice” framing works

It flips the usual sampling dynamic. Instead of the brand chasing you with freebies, you chase the freebie. The mouse wheel is a physical metaphor for craving and persistence, and the costumes make the whole thing socially safe to laugh at.

What the brand is really buying

This is not a rational product argument. It is a proof-by-behaviour message. When real people are willing to look ridiculous for a snack, the snack gets a shortcut to “it must taste good.” The activation also turns one giveaway into many impressions, because spectators become the media.

What to steal for your next sampling idea

  • Make the rules readable from 10 meters away. If people cannot explain it instantly, they will not stop.
  • Build a loop that produces moments. Near-fails, fails, retries, wins. That is natural entertainment.
  • Keep the reward proportional. Small prize, big fun. The contrast is the joke.
  • Design for a crowd. If spectators are part of the experience, distribution comes for free.

A few fast answers before you act

What happens in the Fantastic Delites “lab mice” stunt?

Participants wear mouse costumes and run inside a giant wheel. They have to maintain speed long enough to earn a free pack of Fantastic Delites from the Delite-o-matic.

Why does this count as effective sampling?

Because it turns product trial into a public spectacle. The giveaway is small, but the attention is large, and the story is easy to retell.

How is this connected to the Delite-o-matic?

It uses the same behavioural premise. People will do surprisingly effortful things for a free snack, and that behaviour becomes the message.

What is the key design principle behind this kind of activation?

Clarity plus consequence. Clear rules create instant understanding. Visible failure creates tension and humour. Together they keep people watching.

What is the biggest risk with “challenge for reward” stunts?

Making the challenge feel unfair or too slow. If success looks impossible, the crowd loses interest. If success looks too easy, there is no drama.