I’ll take a Big Mac with some Geico insurance, please.
McDonald’s customers may see commercials on its drive-thru menu boards next month as the fast food giant starts testing a digital ad program — one that beams promo spots from other companies alongside promos for McFlurries.
The burger behemoth said 450 company-owned locations are piloting the advertisements, which will include spots from outside companies — including the lizard lovers at Geico — on the large outdoor screens.
Morgan Flatley, global chief marketing officer and executive vice president of new business ventures at McDonald’s, announced the move during its Investor Day, an annual event where the Golden Arches presents its long-term strategy to board members and fry fans alike.
The news comes just as the company announced the McDonald’s Media Network — a marketing initiative first whispered back in 2023. The chain said it’s hoping to build the new venture, which aims to harness the attention of McDonald’s customers with paid promotions and in-store ads, into a $1 million business.
“Commerce media is one of the fastest-growing areas in advertising, and it’s expected to reach more than $100 billion in the US alone by 2028,” Flatley said during the presentation. “It’s an opportunity to generate revenue for the system with little in the way of additional cost, no operational complexity and no disruption to our customer experience.”
Except the customer experience has already been disrupted — because many diners and investors hate the idea of having to watch ads while trying to get a box of chicken nuggets.
One Facebook user explicitly wrote, “Nobody wants to see ads AT ALL, let alone while you’re in the Drive-Thru trying to order your food!!! Definitely bulls***!!”
Another frustrated customer took to X and said, “imagine paying for your meal just to be forced into watching an unskippable ad at the checkout kiosk like it’s a YouTube video.”
A third wrote, “This is just another step in making fast food even less about food. Hard to enjoy a burger when I’m being sold on socks.”
McDonald’s stock dipped about 1.38% percent today, in part due to the announcement.
Investor Day also revealed that the Big Mac mavens would start experimenting with new, protein-packed menu items.
Skye Anderson, the president of McDonald’s USA, said that because of drugs like GLP-1 like Ozempic — a medication that regulates blood sugar, slows digestion and controls appetite — diners want smaller, more nutrient-dense meals.
“This is an opportunity. We need to keep giving them more reasons to make McDonald’s their first choice,” Anderson said.
The fast food chain announced it would test products like egg bites, bowls, grilled chicken sandwiches and wraps for more on-the-go fitness buffs.
Reactions for a protein-maxxed Filet-O-Fish seemed mixed.
