Published 23/08/2016
In May 2016, McDonald’s UK launched a nationwide campaign inviting the public to follow the ‘foodsteps’ of the farmers, suppliers and restaurant teams in its supply chain.
The ‘Follow our Foodsteps’ campaign is a fully immersive experience that has been touring a number of events around the UK this summer, using the latest virtual reality technology and 360° video to tell its food story through the eyes of the people who grow, produce and prepare food for its UK menu.
A number of 360° videos showcase various parts of its supply chain, including videos of one of its organic dairy farms and free-range egg laying unit, giving customers an immersive and interactive experience to see the animal welfare standards for themselves.
This latest campaign resulted from research conducted by McDonald’s which showed that 74% of consumers wanted to know more about where their food comes from. The campaign also goes some way in addressing the skills shortage the industry faces and its need to attract new talent for the future.
Over the last decade McDonald’s UK has demonstrated its transparency on a number of occasions by inviting people behind the scenes of its supply chain. This latest initiative forms part of McDonald’s longer-term Farm Forward programme to support the farming industry and connect consumers with their food.
In June 2016 McDonald’s was recognised with the Best Marketing Award at Compassion’s Good Farm Animal Welfare Awards in Berlin for their beautiful TV advertisement highlighting the importance of tree cover for laying hens and their ‘Good to Know’ campaign, showcasing the company’s sourcing credentials.
Jo Cooper, Marketing Communications Manager for Compassion said: “Today, consumers are increasingly interested in the provenance of their food so this latest campaign by McDonald’s is a truly creative and innovative next step in continuing to connect their customers with the farms that supply their food.
Being able to share the animal welfare standards a business is proud of has never been more important and we’d encourage other companies to follow their lead.”