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News / 20 September 2024

A glass half full, or a glass half empty?


Working for McDonald’s was a dream. One of the world’s most recognisable brands, with 36,000 restaurants in 100 countries. They wanted a fresh take on their ‘Winning Sips’ campaign for 2024.

We’ve been collaborating with McDonald’s PR company, Ready10, for a while. Ready10 wanted us to help create a shareable, rewarding and memorable experience. We were happy to help.

The concept of a glass half full came to life as a digital, interactive and gamified cup. We love mixing innovative design with technical know-how, so we created a concept disruptive enough to stop passers-by in their tracks.

Fizz, stop, game.

How do you create a giant, interactive drink? We got to work creating a 2.5m tall cup, built to house a unique 76” ultra stretch screen, in portrait. The simulation showed the cup filling up and down with Coke. Customers could interact using a tablet, stopping close to halfway to win prizes. Node servers and WebSocket technology allowed users to communicate with the installation in real time. 

This interactive setup merged cutting edge digital signage with real-time interactivity, delivering a unique and engaging experience. McDonalds gave us a mix of low and high value rewards, all set for instant wins and instant smiles all round. 

We’ve spent 15 years developing our own instant win technology, which we were quick to deploy on this project. We’re currently working to embed this gamification engine within Samsung’s digital signage platform (VXT). The mix of physical and digital was perfect for the McDonald’s build, where we oversaw the integration of all our tech features at our own partner workshop. We delivered the cup on the day, working and ready to go.

Distract, disrupt and delight.

On the day, the giant ‘Winning Sips’ cup was definitely half full. It was delivered to Westfield for a seamless result:

  • Timings set to manage customer flow
  • In-built distribution of prizes 
  • Integration of interactive tablets and the cup

Thanks to the tech being easy to use and the spectacle of the giant cup, we distracted plenty of shoppers. Playful competition created a buzz around the concept of ‘half full or half empty’. Two lucky winners took home £1,000 each. 

Into the mix, we had some celebrity help from Harry Clark, which was a hit on social media and attracted national PR coverage. The vibe in Westfield combined with the excitement on social media, meant McDonald’s and shoppers were both delighted with the result.