Drink trays get a second-life as portable speakers

Brand: McDonald's

Project: McBoombox

In an era of so much choice, and with a cultural focus on waste-reduction and healthy eating, millennials don't always see McDonald's as a brand that shares their values. So we wanted to go beyond a promotion and put McDonald's at the centre of Canadians' summer rituals; to bring people together and turn them into positive advocates.

The disposable drink tray was transformed into a portable stereo, with fold-out speakers and a docking area for your smartphone. Partnering with an industrial design firm and local university, we tweaked the design again and again and again and again until the optimal sound quality was achieved – ultimately doubling the volume of your phone’s speakers. 

112 Million Global Impressions

With just $5,000 spent on paid media, the Boombox story traveled the globe. Within days it appeared in popular sites like Mashable, Inc., and HypeBeast, and was covered by influencers like Unbox Therapy and Facebook’s news site Now This. It achieved 5.5 million impressions in Canada alone, and was organically picked up by many global media sources that applauded the brand’s innovation.