McDonald’s, which is valued at $37.4 billion as a brand and No. 5 on Forbes Most Powerful Brands, expected the french fry boxes to be in 119 countries on Thursday, opening day of the World Cup. They were debuted worldwide on May 26 and feature World Cup-themed artwork commissioned from artists around the globe. The idea for the artwork on the box came from the desire to better communicate with Millennials, says McDonald’s senior director of global marketing Matt Biespiel. He believes that “it’s a generation that loves art, loves unique customization, loves expressing itself and, of course, loves McDonald’s french fries.”
The box is also the portal for an augmented reality game called “McDonald’s GOL!” Fans can download the mobile app and then scan the box to launch the game. Once scanned, the soccer field appears on the device and the fry box acts as the goal. Players can use their finger to flick the ball, emulating a kick on the field. Players can then share their best trick shots via social media. Biespiel believes that the app will get “heavy digital-media marketing support through Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.”