McDonald's Tests Ads on Drive-Thru Menus in $1 Billion Marketing Push

McDonald's is testing digital ads on its drive-thru menu boards at 450 company-owned locations. The pilot program, which will feature promo spots from other companies alongside McDonald's own promotions, aims to generate revenue for the system with minimal additional cost.

The move comes as part of McDonald's Investor Day presentation, where the company announced plans to build its McDonald's Media Network into a $1 million business. Commerce media is expected to reach more than $100 billion in the US alone by 2028, according to Morgan Flatley, global chief marketing officer and executive vice president of new business ventures at McDonald's.

The introduction of ads on drive-thru menus has been met with criticism from some customers, who argue that it disrupts their experience and forces them to watch unwanted commercials while trying to order food. McDonald's stock dipped about 1.38% today in part due to the announcement.