These McDonald's billboards double as bee hotels

Back in May, McDonald's Sweden celebrated World Bee Day by building the "world's smallest McDonald's"—a tiny replica of a restaurant that's actually a hive. Its latest initiative goes even further, creating McDonald's billboards that double as "bee hotels." The boards are permanent wood installations with drilled holes in the copy (“Always open") where wild bees and other insects can make their nests. All McDonald's franchisees have been given the opportunity to order their own bee hotel boards and customize the messaging. At the same time, McDonald's has started a collaboration with JC Decaux to create habitats for wild bees on the back of north-facing billboards (bees are most comfortable if their nests are in a south facing position). The first test is now live in Jarfalla, outside Stockholm, where six large bee hotels have been mounted on the backside of a north-facing billboard. McDonald's has hopes of scaling up the initiative in spring 2020. Encouraging biodiversity, it's yet another environmental innovation from the fast food chain and Nord DDB—earlier this month, it unveiled Golden Arches signs that double as signposts for where to charge your electric car.

These McDonald's billboards double as bee hotels

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