# App-Connected Commercials McDonald's Fruit Match Commercial Plays a Game with Smartphones By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2014-09-07 | Marketing Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fruit-match References: [adeevee](http://www.adeevee.com/2014/09/mcdonalds-fruit-match-online/) & [creativity-online](http://creativity-online.com/work/mcdonalds-fruit-match/36994) [McDonald's](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcdonalds-side-missions) Fruit Match commercial gave people the chance to win one of its new iced smoothies through the use of an [interactive game](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/second-screen-staredown). The ad warned people to get their phones ready, open up the [McDonald's app](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcdonalds-mexico) and pick a fruit. With a matter of moments, the TV screen would reveal if the chosen fruit matched the one onscreen. Although it seems like the technology behind this might be complicated, McDonald's notes that the commercial was synced with the TV schedule, "giving the impression that the phone was connected in real-time." This way, if the fruit to be shown at the 5 pm commercial spot was a banana, anyone who picked banana on their phone would win a free drink, which makes it really quite simple. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.4/10 - Popularity: 26% | Activity: 69% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Marketing](https://www.trendhunter.com/marketing) > [Interactive](https://www.trendhunter.com/interactive) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Interactive Commercials:** Creating ads that engage with the audience through interactive experiences with smartphones or other devices. - **Real-time Synced Promotions:** Synchronizing TV schedules with digital promotions that can provide instant gratification to customers. - **Gamification Marketing:** Using games or challenges in marketing campaigns to create a more engaging experience for customers. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Fast Food Chains:** Using technology such as interactive commercials to engage with customers and provide promotions. - **Marketing Agencies:** Developing campaigns that incorporate technology-based interactive experiences to create engaging interactions between brands and consumers. - **Mobile App Developers:** Designing and implementing mobile apps that can be integrated into marketing campaigns for increased engagement with customers. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Gamified Fast Food Challenges](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcdonalds-side-missions.md) - [QSR Game-Inspired Fitness Partnerships](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcdonalds-monopoly1.md) - [Food Truck Billboards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/food-truck-billboard.md) - [Interactive Digital QSR Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcdonaldland-vr.md) - [Interactive Game Advertisements](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/samsung-ads-gamebreaks.md) - [Interactive Juice Boxes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mega-back-to-school.md) - [Playful QSR Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcdonalds-campaign-1.md) - [Interactive AR Avocado Scans](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/avolotto-lens.md) - [Gamer-Centric Fast Food Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/burger-to-king.md)