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Musical Food Trays

Clean the Sky - Positive Eco Trends & Breakthroughs

McDonald's 'McTrax' Tray Liners are Smartphone-Connected Music Stations

— May 3, 2016 — Marketing
As well as serving as a protective sheets for fast food trays, the newest tray liners from McDonald's boast some entertaining qualities.

'McTrax' is a paper placement that can be connected to one's smartphone so that with a companion app, fast food consumers can also become music producers. With McTrax, a diner at McDonald's can press the mat's conductive ink buttons in order to play synths, special effects and make their own voice recordings. The 26 interactive points on the paper sheet are powered by just a small battery and circuit boat.

Other fast food brands have also experimented with ideas that are similar to McTrax from McDonald's. For instance, KFC launched the Tray Typer keyboard and Giraffas turned its fast food trays into virtual soccer fields for the World Cup.
Trend Themes
1. Smartphone-connected Food Trays - The trend of integrating smartphones with food trays opens up opportunities for interactive dining experiences and personalized content delivery.
2. Interactive Fast Food Experiences - The trend of incorporating interactive elements into fast food dining provides opportunities for brands to engage with their customers in new and unique ways.
3. Alternative Uses for Fast Food Packaging - The trend of repurposing fast food packaging as interactive platforms showcases the potential for innovative and sustainable design solutions.
Industry Implications
1. Fast Food - The fast food industry can leverage smartphone-connected food trays to enhance customer experiences and drive customer loyalty.
2. Music Production - The music production industry can explore collaborations with fast food chains to create interactive platforms that allow aspiring musicians to create and share music.
3. Packaging and Printing - The packaging and printing industry can tap into the trend of repurposing fast food packaging to design innovative and interactive products for various applications.
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