The global COVID-19 mass vaccination effort is in full swing — and major companies, including America’s fast food giants — are joining the battle to nudge citizens into getting their shot in the arm. As President Joe Biden applauds the “great milestone” in the fight against the coronavirus, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) sparked a furor this week by relaxing mask requirements for fully vaccinated people. However, the path to normalcy is predicated on getting as many people inoculated from the virus as possible.
Enter fast food giants like Krispy Kreme, McDonald’s, Shake Shack and others like Lyft and Uber. In their own individual ways, the companies are trying to encourage vaccination — mostly by offering freebies like beer, donuts and ride shares to consumers who voluntarily do so. Just last week, New York City-based chain Shake Shake teamed up with the NYC’s Mayor Office to provide free fries to those who provide a vaccination card through Saturday, June 12th, with the purchase of any burger or chicken sandwich.
Back in March, Krispy Kreme got the ball rolling with freebies incentivizing inoculations. The company offered one free, glazed donut to everyone who gets a free COVID-19 shot — but the backlash was swift, as health experts questioned making it easier for those with health or diet issues to get sweets. But CEO Mike Tattersfield defended his company’s intentions, by stating, “We’re a sweet treat company, [and] if folks don’t want to visit a donut shop, they don’t have to.”
Separately, McDonald’s teamed up with the Biden administration to make access to vaccine information more easily accessible. In mid-May, the Golden Arches is launching a We Can Do This campaign will be featured on a McDonald’s billboard at the heart of Manhattan’s Times Square. And in July, all McDonald’s coffee cups and delivery stickers will be emblazoned with the campaign symbol. “This is a team effort – it takes all of us,” McDonald’s said in a press release, touting the effort to “provide trusted, independently verified information about COVID-19 vaccines to our customers in the nearly 14,000 communities we serve.”
Through May 31st, hamburger chain White Castle is offering a complimentary dessert-on-a-stick for all who have received a COVID-19 vaccination card to “celebrate customer vaccinations and the promise of brighter days ahead.” Not to be outdone, Unilever on Friday delivered “truckloads” of free ice cream to select vaccination sites to newly vaccinated people, site workers, and volunteers in major cities like NYC, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Memphis, Dallas-Fort Worth and Phoenix. The company — known for its dessert brands like Breyer’s, Ben & Jerry’s, Klondike, Popsicle, among others — said it “selected key vaccination sites where hesitancy is high.” Unilever plans to extend the program nationally, and is also running a contest on Twitter for a chance to win free ice cream.
On Tuesday, the White House revealed a partnership with ride-sharing giants Uber and Lyft to offer free rides to anyone going to a vaccination site to get their shot. The offering, which the administration hopes will push America closer to the 70% threshold needed for herd immunity from COVID-19, will kick off in the next two weeks on the companies’ apps through July 4th.
The Biden administration is also working with many businesses to provide special deals and promotions for those who get vaccinated. Albertsons and Safeway are offering customers a 10 percent discount on groceries; and at Target or CVS, customers can get $5 dollars off any purchase, while The Vitamin Shoppe gives the vaccinated a free snack.
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