In Last Hurrah, McDonald’s Anchors Pirates Promo
As its last hurrah, McDonald’s is launching a new promotion starting July 4 tied to the Pirates film and the QSR’s Are You Mac Enough game. Customers who buy a Big Mac, large fries or large drink or a Big Mac Extra Value Meal will receive a game piece. Players can enter game codes at Playatmcd.com, send a text message with game codes to 91919 or call a toll-free number for a chance to win a host of prizes.
“We have always done a great big event with Disney,” said Kent Voetberg, director of U.S. marketing for McDonald’s Corp. “It’s a great tie-in with great food and great prizes. We’re looking to deliver a terrific experience.”
“It’s a tent pole event on [Disney’s] end and it’s a tent pole event on our end,” he added.
Despite the parting with Disney, McDonald’s officials have said the company would explore other promotional opportunities with the entertainment company (Xtra, May 9, 2006).
As part of its prize pool, McDonald’s is giving away one Volvo XC90 V8s SUV or Volvo C70s convertible every day for 28 days. Other prizes include Sony PlayStation Portable gaming systems, Pirates-branded video iPods, Magellan RoadMate 3000T GPS navigation systems and Memorex DVD players. The prizing targets “the urban, on-the-go-consumer,” Voetberg said.
Instant-win games pieces are also on six-ounce fry boxes and 32-ounce drink cups. Prizes include limited-edition Pirates of the Caribbean Arch Cards (McDonald’s gift cards) and soundtrack music downloads. The re-loadable cards feature some of film’s stars, including Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest opens nationwide on July 7.
In an effort to build up its late-night sales, McDonald’s is also offering a four-digit bonus code to customers who visit the chain’s drive-through between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. at participating locations. Consumers who send a text message with the code and their game piece code will be entered into a sweepstakes for a chance to win a walk-on role in a movie by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
The promotion is designed to show consumers McDonald’s is a “relevant and entertaining place for customers to go in the summertime,” Voetberg said. Oakbrook, Il-based McDonald’s is one of several promotional partners tying in to the Pirates film, including Masterfoods USA’s M&Ms brand, Verizon Wireless and Volvo (Xtra, June 15, 2006).
The promotion will run in participating McDonald’s restaurants in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, runs though July 31. Online materials, P-O-P and TV and radio spots support.
Creata Promotions, Oak Brook, IL, developed the program and will handle the sweepstakes; Tribal DDB, Chicago, handles online materials; Brell Communications, Chicago, handles creative for TV and radio spots; DRM, Miami, handles TV and radio spots for the Hispanic Market; Frankel, Chicago, handles in-store merchandising and packaging.
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