Takeaway packaging is the third largest source of littering in cities across the world, according to recent research by the University of Cádiz in Spain.

As Norway’s largest takeaway restaurant chain, McDonald’s is a substantial part of the problem in Norwegian cities – and it doesn’t help that its iconic golden arches make its packaging very noticeable. But in a new campaign led by Nord DDB, the fast food chain is taking ownership of this role.

“We’re responsible for one of the biggest and most visible parts of littering. We’re definitely not pleased when we see trash from our restaurants lying around,” says McDonald’s Norway senior marketing manager, Mari Husby. “This is a big problem for our communities, cities and the environment. With our size and influence, we can do a lot better than we do today.”

Leading with the message ‘take away your take away’, the campaign is all about showcasing the ugly side of McDonald’s packaging and encouraging fast food lovers to help the brand reduce littering.

Photos of McDonald’s trash lying around in the streets of Oslo have been artfully captured by photographer Jói Kjartans for print, social media, OOH displays and McDonald’s trays in order to reach as many customers as possible.

Trash cans have been placed next to OOH displays so that the golden arches can be used as a trash-guide, and the campaign also includes a commercial shown on TV and online. As for the longer term, the brand has initiated several measures to create long-term solutions.

“As a major player, we have both a great responsibility and an enormous power to contribute to change,” says Husby. “In addition to driving attention to the issue through mass communication, we’ve joined a pilot project with Keep Norway Clean with the aim of preventing unconscious littering and we’ve initiated dialogue with politicians, stakeholders and competitors.”

nordddb.com