• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
RetailMcDonald's

McDonald’s Wants You to Make Music While Eating

By
Benjamin Snyder
Benjamin Snyder
Managing Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Benjamin Snyder
Benjamin Snyder
Managing Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 3, 2016, 5:26 PM ET
(FILES) A newly modeled McDonald's resta
DES PLAINES, UNITED STATES: (FILES) A newly modeled McDonald's restaurant sign on the site of Ray Kroc's original McDonald's is seen in this 14 April, 2005 file photo in Des Plaines, Illinois. Fast-food leader McDonald's Corp. said 21 April 205, first-quarter earnings rose 42 percent from a year ago, helped by solid sales and a tax benefit. The Oak Brook, Illinois restaurant giant recorded net income of 727.9 million USD, or 56 cents a share, up from the 511.5 million USD, or 40 cents per share, earned in the first quarter of last year. Excluding a one-time tax gain, the profit amounted to 43 cents a share, in line with most analysts' forecasts. Revenue rose nine percent in the latest quarter, reaching 4.8 billion USD from 4.4 billion in the same period a year earlier. AFP PHOTO/JEFF HAYNES (Photo credit should read JEFF HAYNES/AFP/Getty Images)Photograph by Jeff Haynes—AFP via Getty Images

In the Netherland’s, McDonald’s want you to make music while eating your Big Mac.

The fast food chain in the country has unveiled a placemat, called a McTrax, that allows customers to bang out tunes as they dine. TBWANeboko, which is located in the Netherlands, created McTrax, according to Adweek. The item was developed with This Page Amsterdam, a digital production agency, and is made with conductive ink, a battery, and a circuit board.

To make it work, you place your phone on the mat, get an app, and then compose music (you can even record your voice).

Check out the placemat in action here:

“The paper of the placemat is what makes this technique so innovative,” TBWA creative technologist Radha Pleijsant and digital design lead Jan Jesse Bakker said in a statement to Adweek. “The phone merely acts as the speaker and screen, which is easily connected to the placemat via Bluetooth, making sure you can hear the music on your speakers.”

“This is exactly what McDonald’s is; a place to have fun and experience great moments, for everyone,” Erwin Dito, director of marketing, communications and consumer insight for McDonald’s Netherlands, said to Adweek.

About the Author
By Benjamin SnyderManaging Editor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Benjamin Snyder is Fortune's managing editor, leading operations for the newsroom.

Prior to rejoining Fortune, he was a managing editor at Business Insider and has worked as an editor for Bloomberg, LinkedIn and CNBC, covering leadership stories, sports business, careers and business news. He started his career as a breaking news reporter at Fortune in 2014.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Retail

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump may have shot himself in the foot at the Fed, as Powell could stay on while Miran resigns from White House post
By Eleanor PringleFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Peter Thiel warns the Antichrist and apocalypse are linked to the ‘end of modernity’ currently happening—and cites Greta Thunberg as a driving example
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 4, 2026
24 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
After decades in the music industry, Pharrell Williams admits he never stops working: ‘If you do what you love everyday, you’ll get paid for free'
By Emma BurleighFebruary 3, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Investing
Tech stocks go into free fall as it dawns on traders that AI has the ability to cut revenues across the board
By Jim EdwardsFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Commentary
I've studied nonviolent resistance in war zones for 20 years and Minnesota reminds me of Colombia, the Philippines and Syria
By Oliver Kaplan and The ConversationFebruary 3, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
In 2026, many employers are ditching merit-based pay bumps in favor of ‘peanut butter raises’
By Emma BurleighFebruary 2, 2026
3 days ago

Latest in Retail

desantis
CommentaryLeadership
Understanding corporate leaders’ muted Minnesota response: the example of Disney, Florida and conservative retaliation
By Alessandro Piazza and The ConversationFebruary 5, 2026
3 hours ago
RetailPepsiCo
PepsiCo is cutting prices for snacks like Doritos by ‘up to 15%’ to appease customers pinched by the K-shaped economy
By Dave Lozo and Morning BrewFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago
kalshi
RetailGrocery
Kalshi gave away $50 in free groceries for 3 hours in New York City. A line 4 blocks long full of students and people on food stamps formed
By Eva RoytburgFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago
super bowl
Arts & EntertainmentAdvertising
The ‘Kardashian Kurse’ and a Jurassic Park reunion are among the Super Bowl commercials planned for this year
By Mae Anderson and The Associated PressFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago
MagazineVictoria's Secret
How Victoria’s Secret got its sexy back
By Emma HinchliffeFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago
transformation
SuccessBook Excerpt
In 250 years, the economy has gone from agrarian to industrial to service to experience. Now the transformation economy is here
By B. Joseph Pine IIFebruary 3, 2026
2 days ago