Back in the day before smartphones and tablets, one of the ways we kept ourselves entertained while eating (if we were alone) would be to bring along a book to read. These days you see kids tapping away on their smartphones and tablets, watching videos or playing games, and because of the shift in entertainment, McDonald’s has come up with a new and novel way of entertaining customers.
Over in the Netherlands, McDonald’s has launched a new promotion for a placemat called the McTrax Placemat. This is part of a collaboration between the fast food company and advertising agency TBWA\Neboko in which the McTrax placemat will allow customers to create music while they eat.
How this works is that the placemat features conductive ink and will be able to pair with your smartphone. The “buttons” that you press on the paper will then be translated into sound on your phone that you can then use to create music and beats while tapping away, and since it is just paper you don’t have to worry about getting an expensive instrument dirty.
It is a pretty awesome idea but unfortunately it does not look like it will be rolled out to other McDonald’s outlets around the world, which is a pity since it does look pretty fun.