Chicago, IL: Drinks are taking center stage at McDonald’s with the expansion of its beverage line, establishing the brand as abeverage destination for customers. First rolling out in the US and Canada in early May, the line will then expand to additional global markets throughout 2026. The launch is supported by tms, who led the end-to-end retail experience and packaging sourcing across McDonald’s.
The program introduces six new McCafé Specialty Beverages, supported by a fully integrated retail experience. New flavors include an array of moderately caffeinated refreshers like Strawberry Watermelon Refresher and Mango Pineapple Refresher as well as crafted sodas such as Sprite® Berry Blast, Dirty Dr Pepper®, and more.
tms worked closely with McDonald’s to translate beverage innovation into a cohesive retail experience built to capture attention, simplify choice, and drive incremental purchase at the point of order through captivating visuals at every touchpoint – including the menu boards, drive-thru, and retail signage.
“A new era of beverages is here at McDonald’s, and tms helped translate consumer insights into a fan-first, intuitive retail experience at nearly 14,000 restaurants nationwide,” said Jackie Bruzek, VP Customer Engagement.
Working from the belief that taste is the experience of flavor, tms partnered with McDonald’s to develop packaging that elevates perception at every interaction. Rather than serving as a simple container, all beverage packaging was designed to be clear, acting as an experiential driver and allowing for social sharing customer moments.
tms also led the design of the end-to-end customer journey, ensuring the product translated clearly and effectively at the point of order. Drawing on consumer and eye‑tracking research, the team developed a structured communications hierarchy that simplifies choice while maintaining visual impact throughout restaurants.
Beyond the immediate launch, the beverage platform is designed as a long-term growth engine. The strategy supports future innovation and partner beverages while maintaining consistency across markets and dayparts.
“This beverage launch exemplifies the power of a connected tms, uniting marketing and sourcing to deliver a strategy that was both creatively compelling and executable at scale. By aligning consumer research, taste-led storytelling, and system-ready solutions, we helped McDonald’s build a sustainable, always-on beverage platform,” said Jon Beach, Sr. Director, Global Packaging Innovation & Growth at tms.
