McDonald’s is moving on from the traditional, pay with cash or card forms of payment as it launches its Pay with Lovin campaign.
The scheme allows customers to pay for their food with no cash or card but affection, with the offer ending on February 14, Valentines Day.
Customers will be selected by each of the restaurants’ managers – named lovin’ leads in the terms and conditions – for the next two weeks. They’ll be required to perform a random act of lovin’, which is to be decided by the leads. The loving acts include calling a loved one and telling them that you love them, humble fist bumps, or on the spot dances by way of payment.
According to the rules on the McDonald’s website, the winners do not necessarily need to have made a purchase in order to win a prize, the Lovin’ leads will be selecting the winners as they enter or leave the restaurant at preselected times.
McDonald’s outlets in the US have started to reveal their first winners:
One of our 1st local #paywithlovin winners! Richard Covey gets a free breakfast in Bloomington 2day. pic.twitter.com/LQ6mbAqf2T
— McDonald’s Minnesota (@McD_Minnesota) February 2, 2015
Jonathan of Whitestown paid for his breakfast with a lovin’ call to his wife this morning! #PayWithLovin pic.twitter.com/uAJ1OVdZKQ — MyIndyMcDonalds (@MyIndyMcDonalds) February 2, 2015
There has been a mixed response on Twitter, some stated that Brits wouldn’t take to the game if it happened to cross over to this side of the Atlantic:
Somehow I don’t see #paywithlovin taking off in Britain. We’re about as comfortable with showing emotions in public as Vulcans. #uk
— Ed Robson (@Mazjin5555) February 2, 2015
Others approved of the game:
@McDonalds This is incredible! Thank you for sharing love, light, and inspiration! #PayWIthLovin‘ — Kevin C. Martin (@ThankYouGodAmen) February 2, 2015
And of course, there were those that mocked the game:
Just Twerked at McDonald’s for a free meal. #paywithlovin
— Patrick McKeown (@ProjectPat246) February 2, 2015
The game has launched days after the announcement that British-born Steve Easterbrook has taken over as the company’s new Chief Executive, effective from March. For the first time in 12 years, according to the Telegraph, McDonalds’ sales dropped in the third quarter of 2014. Outgoing chief executive Don Thompson said that the three months to October fell short of expectations “by all measures”.
The Pay with Lovin’ ad was one of many featured in the SuperBowl break, alongside the NFL’s ‘No More’ domestic violence campaign and Kim Kardashian’s T-Mobile ad.