McDonald’s Philippines has launched ‘Ride the Arches’, a pedal-powered movement that turns McDonald’s restaurants into cycling refueling stations.
The movement began after McDonald’s noticed that more and more of its 700+ stores in the Philippines were becoming the stopover of choice for cyclists, and began to invest in Bike & Dine infrastructure in 2021 – a McDonald’s Philippines innovation. Bike & Dine facilities include bike repair and e-bike charging stations, integrated bike racks and dining ledges and bicycle-safe ‘Ride-Thrus’. In a country where there are now four bicycle owners for every car owner, these facilities help to address a shortage of bike-friendly infrastructure: it can be difficult for cyclists to find safe places to take breaks, charge e-bikes and make minor repairs.
McDonald’s then challenged Leo Burnett Manila to get the nation cycling and turn McDonald’s restaurants into must-visit stops on any biking journey. With stores located in Tagaytay, which has views of Taal Volcano, a geologic wonder located within Lake Taal; the island of Boracay, famous for its pristine white-sand beaches; and Intramuros, a historic walled city in Manila, Leo Burnett Manila launched ‘Ride the Arches’ – a program incentivizing cyclists to discover some of the most scenic McDonald’s restaurants in the world, especially those with Bike & Dine facilities.
Kenneth S. Yang, CEO and President of McDonald’s Philippines, explains: “McDonald’s launched Bike & Dine facilities during the pandemic after seeing a surge in bike usage across the country. We saw an opportunity to improve the customer experience for our two-wheeled customers, and be an advocate for sustainable mobility—encouraging more customers to ride.”
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Raoul Panes, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett Group Manila and Publicis Groupe Philippines, adds: “We loved the idea of using McDonald’s scale, infrastructure and operations to support a vast community of bike enthusiasts, adding value with rewards, and creating an always-growing network of routes that lead across our stunning country. By incentivising cyclists to ‘Ride the Arches’, McDonald’s has become the gateway to discovering some of the most beautiful places in the Philippines.”
To kick off ‘Ride the Arches’, McDonald’s challenged cycling groups nationwide to create routes that loop from arch to arch, with McDonald’s as the start and end point. It also recruited cycling influencers to create and share their favorite routes, sharing these routes on popular cycling apps like Strava or Komoot.
Next, McDonald’s hosted a series of community bike rides called #TourDeMcDo. Fuelling these rides are free meals, special cyclist meals, and merchandise for those who share the best photos or ride the most kilometers.
With over 100 routes and over 51,000 kilometres pedalled so far, ‘Ride the Arches’ will continue to work with cycling groups in cities with McDonald’s Bike & Dine facilities in 2024, organizing and sponsoring rides and promoting cycling safety. Events are planned for World Bike Day (3 June) and National Bicycle Month (November), positioning McDonald’s restaurants as essential refueling stations for biking communities – a place to rest, enjoy bike repair services and their McDonald’s favorites.
