McDonald's Rolling Out 'Fun & Modern' New Packaging

OAK BROOK, Ill. — Starting this month, McDonald's restaurants in the United States will unveil new carry-out bags, fountain beverage cups and sandwich boxes as part of a new look designed to be simple, fresh and provide a consistent brand experience in stores, drive-thrus, kiosks and on the McDonald's mobile app, according to media reports.

The new packaging rollout will begin at 15,000 domestic locations and then expand worldwide to more than 36,000 restaurants throughout 2016.

It is the first major packaging redesign for the chain since 2013 and took approximately one year to design.

The redesigned packaging pays homage to McDonald's signs and uses a modern, clean font designed to attract not only millennials, but also the growing number of customers who pay more attention to their phones or other technology.

To celebrate the unveiling, the South Florida Cabrera/Bentancourt McDonald's franchise organization held a McDCouture Fashion Show in November. Students from Miami International University of Art and Design composed a couture collection designed entirely out of McDonald's signature food packaging.

 "McDonald's is a fun and modern brand and this was a progressive way to turn our packaging into art and support a community where fashion is an expression," said Matt Biespiel, senior director of Global Marketing. "Every day, 69 million customers visit McDonald's around the world and this new packaging will be a noticeable change. It was fun to join these ideas together and create playful pieces that connect our customers to the brand."

McDonald's has also committed to sourcing 100 percent of all its fiber-based packaging from recycled or certified sources by 2020.

"We're proud of the progress we've made and initiatives like this are important to our customers who care about the planet," Biespiel said.