• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, March 8, 2018

To mark International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8, McDonald’s turned its iconic “M” logo upside down, to form a “W,” at one location. 

The unit, located in Lynwood, Calif., is one of 18 owned and operated by franchisee Patricia Williams. Her restaurant was chosen because she has “encouraged her two daughters, Kerri Harper-Howie and Nicole Enearu, to work with her,” and the three women “represent the hardworking and dedicated women we have in our system, McDonald's stated. 

Williams and her daughters are also featured in a McDonald’s video created for IWD, being featured on the fast-food brand’s YouTube (below) and Twitter channels. 

The upside-down logo is also being seen across McDonald’s’ digital channels.

In addition, throughout the day, customers at 100 selected restaurants across the country will see packaging, crew shirts and hats, and bag stuffers celebrating IWD.

“For the first time in our brand history, we flipped our iconic arches for International Women’s Day in honor of the extraordinary accomplishments of women everywhere and especially in our restaurants,” said McDonald’s chief diversity officer Wendy Lewis. “From restaurant crew and management to our C-suite of senior leadership, women play invaluable roles. Together with our independent franchise owners, we’re committed to their success.”

McDonald’s has three women on its 12-person board of directors, three women among its top-ranking 10 corporate executives, and three women among its seven-person U.S. leadership team, noted USA Today.

McDonald’s worked with agency We Are Unlimited, part of DDB North America, to implement the efforts.