http://fortune.com/2016/08/17/mcdonalds-fitness-trackers-happy-meals/

 

McDonald's Is Putting Fitness Trackers in Happy Meals

Sarah Begley, TIME

August 17, 2016

 

The gadgets will flash at different walking speeds.

McDonald’s  MCD -0.70%  is putting fitness trackers in children’s Happy Meals to encourage physical activity, in a move aimed at rebranding the company in a more health-conscious light.

 

The gadget, called “step-it,” is basically a pedometer: It counts steps and flashes a light at different speeds based on how fast the user is moving, USA Today reports. For a limited time, it will come in six different colors in the U.S. and Canada, replacing the regular spate of toys in kids’ meals.

 

“Physical activity is important to everyone of all ages,” a McDonald’s Canada senior executive told Digital Trends. “We very much support children’s well-being.”

 

The gadgets will flash at different walking speeds.

McDonald’s  MCD -0.70%  is putting fitness trackers in children’s Happy Meals to encourage physical activity, in a move aimed at rebranding the company in a more health-conscious light.

 

The gadget, called “step-it,” is basically a pedometer: It counts steps and flashes a light at different speeds based on how fast the user is moving, USA Today reports. For a limited time, it will come in six different colors in the U.S. and Canada, replacing the regular spate of toys in kids’ meals.

 

“Physical activity is important to everyone of all ages,” a McDonald’s Canada senior executive told Digital Trends. “We very much support children’s well-being.”

 

The fast food chain is also appealing to health-conscious grownups: McDonald’s saw blockbuster lines in the Olympic village in Rio, as top athletes from around the world loaded up on Big Macs and Chicken McNuggets.