In the movie “The Day the Earth Stood Still”, Keanu Reeves meets up with an old acquaintance in a McDonald’s restaurant. In “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, Rooney Mara is hooked on Happy Meals. And in “The Fifth Element”, cops are seen ordering from the famous fast-food chain, then a patrol car crashes into a McDonald’s supply truck.
The US burger giant is a major sponsor of many movie projects. The company even featured in the Netflix series “Emily in Paris” with its McBaguette. And these numerous TV and movie appearances can whet the appetite of hungry fans.
Indeed, why wait until the end of the film, if not the next day, to satisfy your craving? McDonald’s has found a new way to boost orders by allowing fans to scan the chain’s products that feature onscreen and have them delivered.
As if fiction were catching up with reality, this option – currently only available in the Netherlands – is accessible thanks to a new feature in the McDonald’s app, called “Order That Scene”. It involves pointing the smartphone camera at the screen, as you would to scan a QR code.
And in the event that the burger or meal is not available in the Netherlands – since McDonald’s tailors its offer to local markets – the app proposes the most similar alternative, reports Horecatrends, a Dutch website specialising in culinary trends, Horecatrends.
Delivery is taken care of by Uber Eats or the Dutch application Thuisbezorgd (“Just Eat Take Away”).
As well as serving to order the products featured in movies or TV series, this tool works as a burger hunt game that can be used to collect digital medals by scanning products. This gives users the chance to win movie vouchers or other prizes.
It seems that the line between fictional TV shows and reality is becoming increasingly blurred, now that we can shop what we see on screen in real life. Since the end of last year, a platform known as “Shop The Scenes” has allowed viewers to purchase a garment or accessory spotted in a TV series.
This works via a QR code, accessed during commercials, not during the scene itself. Several TV shows from various platforms feature on the site, such as “Emily in Paris” or “Yellowstone” on Paramount+, with a host of associated products for each.
By 2024, some 20 other shows and movies are to be added to the “Shop The Scenes” catalogue. Meanwhile, Netflix is venturing into this avenue with its own dedicated online store, as is the US network HBO.