In what must be the biggest fast-food shake-up since Burger King did the same thing a few weeks back, the golden arches of gastronomy, McDonald’s, has unveiled a complete design overhaul of its global packaging system.
Engaging with renowned independent design agency Pearlfisher on a multi-year project, the fresh new look has been conceived to imbue the packaging with “a sense of joy and ease” through the use of instantly recognisable bold graphic representations of the items on Maccy D’s iconic menu.
From the cool blue waves on the Filet-O-Fish clamshell to the golden, melting cheese on the Quarter Pounder with Cheese, the yolk of an Egg McMuffin, the angular shape of a fry, or the stacking of bread, meat and cheese in the cross-section of a Big Mac, the new packaging is recognisable regardless of where you are in the world.
Says Matt Sia, creative director at Pearlfisher: “Our task was finding out what was really special about each menu item to design a system that would make it easy for others to do the same. We aimed to find the most special, recognisable and iconic expression of each – celebrating them in a way that makes people smile. Bringing personality to life through simple illustration allows for the packaging to be functionally unique, easy to identify, aesthetically minimal and, most importantly, emotionally joyful. everything in this system has a purpose and helps activate McDonald’s’ brand positioning to make delicious, feel-good moments easy for everyone.”
Now Ronald-free since the Pennywise-esque creepy-clown-standing-in-the-street craze took off McBig-time in The States back in 2016, this latest evolution of the brand has an undeniably timeless feel to it and a child-like simplicity that will help make McDonald’s 60 million transactions per day as near to idiot-proof as imaginable.
“We’re proud to debut this redesigned system,” says Barbara Yehling, Senior Director of Global Menu Strategy at McD’s. “Pearlfisher helped to ensure that this redesign modernises our brand, highlights the specialness of our menu, and delivers on our commitment to quality.”
So, what do you think, wise purveyors of retail packaging, are you lovin’ it?
