McDonald's Just Launched A Rewards-Powered Vehicle

With 38,000 locations across the globe, have you ever wondered how McDonald's attracts new customers apart from its expansive menu and reasonable prices? Over the last few years, the popular fast food chain has come up with some interesting methods of marketing to its regular fan base. Whether it's mercury in retrograde that gets you a free McDouble or Mariah Carey that helps you gain access to your next Big Mac, most of these temporary unique deals have one thing in common — they require the McDonald's app.

More and more fast food businesses like Starbucks and KFC are turning to digital means to secure loyalty from their customers and McDonald's is no exception (per Restaurant Business Online). With the ever-present chain adding more benefits to app participation, last year McDonald's launched its new loyalty program for users across the U.S.

With the overwhelming success of MyMcDonald's Rewards, which gives customers free food by earning points through purchases, the popular fast-food corporation is now rolling out the MyMcDonald's loyalty program, from 10 piloted locations in Liverpool to 65 additional UK locations this month (via Marketing Week).

With the new MyMcDonald's Rewards benefits rolling out to many UK locations this week, McDonald's has taken an ingenious way to market to current customers by inciting curiosity over their new loyalty program. Yesterday @McDonaldsUK posted a video to Twitter of its new McVan that just hit the streets.

Not only does the sleek McVan contain a mobile McFlurry machine visible from a side pull-out window (like all the iconic ice cream trucks you grew up with) but it also sports the "My Rewards" logo implying free food points if you log your participating purchases through the MyMcDonald's Rewards program through the app.

McDonald's is not new to mobile marketing; the mega-corporation released a McFlurry van in 2017 at UK music festivals and a mobile airstream in Ireland just this month which provides free coffee to Dublin residents so they can experience the McCafe difference. 

While the future of McDonald's looks highly digitized with less and less customer interaction, these pop-up vans are a great way for customers to come face to face with a well-loved brand. Plus, these special locations can remind you of the free food you get by logging your participating McDonald's purchases.