McDonald’s illustrates the power of observant innovation in new campaign

They say empathy and curiosity come naturally to kids. Mix them both and you’ve got an angel midst you.

We saw something on similar lines in McDonald’s India’s new ad. In it, a boy spends a day trying different activities, like a craft project, strumming a guitar and playing video games, using only one hand. Our first thought? The boy is disabled.

Cue to the next day in the park, where children are playing. The boy walks up to his friend, who has only one upper limb – with two burgers – one in regular and the other in EatQual packaging. The ad closes with both of them biting into the burger, with the disabled boy being able to hold and have the burger with ease, thanks to EatQual packaging.

It may feel insignificant, but for the disabled boy, the simple act is worth its weight in gold.

The EatQual packaging, launched on the International Day of People with Disabilities, i.e., December 4 last year (2020), was born out of a research McDonald’s did with DDB.

“The pack looks deceptively simple from a design perspective. But a lot of effort went behind to make sure that a person can easily open it, handle it and eat his favourite burger from it,” Arvind RP, director, marketing & communications, McDonald’s India (West and South), tells afaqs!.

Pallavi Chakravarti, creative head, DDB Mudra West, said, “The world doesn’t treat everyone the same – most things are designed to cater to the able-bodied, as the protagonist of our campaign discovers. So, while the idea of a pack that enables people with limited upper limb mobility to enjoy their burgers with dignity is not a life-changing one, it’s an important one. Because this small step alters an experience for the better – an experience that most of us take for granted. And for some of us, it brings a previously unattainable pleasure comfortably within reach. Sometimes, no, oftentimes, it’s the little things that go a long way in levelling the playing field for us all.”

Arvind adds, “According to the World Health Organization, around 15 per cent of the world’s population lives with some form of disability. And yet, the world just isn’t made for them. EatQual stems from this fact. It is an inclusivity platform that we will continue to build. The EatQual packaging marks just the first step in that direction. We aim to launch a host of new, meaningful innovations to make the McDonald’s experience easy for everyone.”

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