Fast food giant McDonald?s is turning to mobile to engage and drive consumers to its locations via a new mobile ad campaign that promotes its breakfast selection through an interactive memory game. 

The company is running mobile ads within Pandora. The ads encourage users to play a memory game to get to know its breakfast items.

"Yes, I do think mobile efforts should drive consumers to locations," said Marci Troutman, CEO of Siteminis, Atlanta.

"I believe that mobile ads will become a better experience over the next few years, with businesses realizing the importance of a mobile landing page that is specific to the ad, while combining an action either a buy now, a store locator or a game," she said.

McDonald?s did not respond to press inquiries.

Wholesome breakfast
The mobile ads reads ?How Wholesome is Your Breakfast? Test Your Memory Skills to Find Out. Play Now.?

The McDonald's mobile ad

When consumers tap on the mobile banner ads they are redirected to a mobile landing page where they can sharpen their memory skills about McDonald?s Wholesome Breakfast.

Via the memory game, users are encouraged to tap and match each breakfast item.

Consumers can play the memory game

Consumers also have the option of skipping the game.

If they do that, they are taken to a mobile page that promotes McDonald?s healthy items which are 300 calories or less.

Users can also choose to find the nearest location to try out the products, check out the company?s site where they can look up more nutrition facts or play the game again.

The company is also incorporating social features within the ad that redirect users to its Facebook and Twitter pages.

Past efforts
The company is no stranger to mobile.

Earlier this year McDonald?s used foursquare to promote is new McCafe Shakes and raise money for its Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Consumers were encouraged to check-in on foursquare at any restaurant in the Philadelphia region and send their check-in to Twitter with a @McDPhilly mention.

For every check-in received, McDonald?s donated $1 to Ronald McDonald House Charities (see story).

Most recently, McDonald?s ran a targeted ad campaign that promoted its Monopoly game.

The company ran mobile ads within Pandora?s iPhone app and offered consumers a chance to win prizes such as cash and gift cards (see story).

"Quick-serve restaurants typically have very loyal customers and these customers are increasingly mobile," said Wilson Kerr, Boston-based mobile marketing consultant.

"They can use mobile ad campaigns running on location-enabled mobile devices to push special offers based on the time or day, the region, or even the weather," he said.

"As companies like McDonalds embrace mobile, they are getting better and better at leveraging the full potential of mobile marketing. Ad networks like Where or Google mobile ads have enough traffic that they can deliver on performance advertising in a way not previously possible."

Final Take
Rimma Kats is staff reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York