Printing a logo that tells the whole story: McDonald’s and the ‘McBike’

Color food and beverage labels can communicate more information to the consumer than brand name and ingredients. With a little creativity and the right label stock, they can convey an important functional message and keep its base from being confused about the purpose of a new item or packaging. McDonald’s has attempted this kind of approach with a new take-out package design made specifically for customers on bicycles.

Wired contributor Liz Stinson recently reported on the McBike, a cardboard box with handles that folds up to contain all of the food in a typical McDonald’s meal. Although this seems to have been a one-off promotional design exclusive to two international cities, the source says it may appear around the world as the company looks to rebrand itself and appeal to a different demographic.

The novelty of the concept comes across just by looking at the package. The typical contrast of yellow and red that appears in most McDonald’s boxes has been replaced by a bright teal color that fills the entire package, with a bike logo image in the center in gold.

For such a bold reimagining, companies need a printer that can produce a range of colors cleanly on tough, scratch resistant stock. One of the many options available through OptiMedia Labs is the VIPColor VP485 Color Label Printer, which produces five inches of high-quality labels per second using the standard CMYK ink system. The ink creates extremely detailed images in 1200 x 1200 dpi resolution and as much as a 4800 x 1200 optimized dpi for enhanced and long-lasting quality.

You can learn more about the VP485 and other color label printing options by contacting OptiMedia Labs today.