McDonald’s has recently partnered with the Joe Biden administration to encourage citizens around the country to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Starting in July, McDonald’s hot McCafe cups and McDelivery seal stickers will be including reliable information from vaccines.gov, enabling customers to learn more about how they can protect themselves and the people they love from COVID-19.
The seal stickers will also help inform customers how and where will they be able to get vaccine appointments near them. The new packaging will be featuring artistic designs and information from the National COVID-19 Public Education Campaign We Can Do This.

McDonald’s and Other Quick Service Restaurants Taking Action
It’s not only McDonald’s that will be encouraging citizens to get vaccinated, but other quick-service restaurant brands as well. Their collective mission is to look for ways to help the country reopen and help the country get back to normal – if such a thing still exists.
McDonald’s collaboration with the government, health organizations, and communities is a powerful way the brand is seeking to build trust within their customers. For a well-known and popular brand like McDonald’s, it’s a huge decision for them to rework their brand image through its hot coffee cups and delivery packaging during these uncertain times.
This partnership will continue to build McDonald’s commitment to making sure their crew and customers’ safety remains a priority. Since January of this year, McDonald’s managers and crew members at both corporate-owned US restaurants and US corporate employees would receive up to four hours of paid time off to get vaccinated. At the same time, earlier this month, McDonald’s hosted a vaccination clinic at their Chicago headquarters for local crew, franchisees, corporate employees, and contractors.

McDonald’s Partnership with the Government
Looking from the government’s side, their collaboration with McDonald’s is a brilliant way to leverage McDonald’s brand awareness and large traffic throughout the country. McDonald’s physical footprint across the US can empower the government’s mission of getting the most amount of citizens vaccinated as soon as possible to reopen the country.
The partnership’s initiative will take place starting the end of May on McDonald’s billboard in Times Square with the debut of the COVID-19 vaccine information from trusted third parties.
“Thanks to McDonald’s, people will now be able to get trusted information about vaccines when they grab a cup of coffee or order a meal. Ending this pandemic requires all of us to work together to do our part, including encouraging our friends and family members to get vaccinated. This effort will help more people make informed decisions about their health and learn about the steps they can take to protect themselves and their communities,” said Xavier Becerra, the US’s Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Marketing as a Force for Good
This year, many brands have redirected their marketing spending towards encouraging the community to trust the safety behind COVID-19 vaccines.
Budweiser, for instance, skipped advertising on the Super Bowl for the first time in 37 years to instead invest their fundings towards raising awareness for the COVID-19 vaccines. Budweiser has also recently offered free beer to people who showed proof that they got vaccinated.
Beloved ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s, on the other hand, will be sending ice cream trucks to vaccination sites to reward newly vaccinated people, vaccine site workers, and volunteers with delicious free treats throughout May.
The Psychology Behind McDonald’s Blue Color
The psychology of color is used in advertising and marketing to evoke emotional reactions. Colors also impact people’s behavior and decision-making. According to research, people make subconscious judgments about a person, environment, or brand within a few seconds or minutes – and colors play a big role behind it.
The color blue is often associated with wisdom, trust, peace, and reliability. For example, American Express uses the color blue to bring feelings of security and stability to their customers. The same happens with JP Morgan Chase – the blue color throughout their digital and physical branding evokes a sense of trust and reliability within their customers. The use of the blue color in logos and branding is commonly used by brands to promote consumer trust in their products and services.
To illustrate, check out this great infographic from Persuasion Nation’s Color Psychology in Marketing Guide:

Fun Fact
The only “Blue Arches McDonald’s” is located in Sedona, Arizona. When the McDonald’s franchise was built there in 1993, the local city believed the bright yellow logo would not fit with the mountainous landscape around the city. The city is famous for its beautiful nature and landscapes. Today, the “Blue Arches McDonald’s” has become a popular tourism spot for Sedona travelers!
