McDonald’s Corp., Oak Brook, IL, last week recalled 100,000 bobble-head figures because some had high levels of lead that posed a threat if kids ate the paint off the toys. The toys — figures of Chicago Bears players Anthony Thomas and Brian Urlacher — were made by Bobble Dreams USA, Fountain Valley, CA, and intended for distribution in the Chicago area. There had been no reports of injury (to McDonald’s or the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) before the voluntary recall.
Some Chicagoans complained on radio call-in shows that the figurine of Thomas was offensive because of its exaggerated African-American facial features and slim resemblance to Thomas himself. McDonald’s got no complaints from consumers and the toys’ appearance has nothing to do with the recall, says spokesperson Julie Pottebaum.
A separate promo in Texas and Oklahoma has boosted sales 11 percent in Lubbock, TX, and 4 percent in Oklahoma City, OK, since restaurants began offering bobble-heads of college mascots Raider Red (Texas Tech), Sooner Schooner (University of Oklahoma), and Pistol Pete (Oklahoma State University) in August. Those dolls, via Alliance Marketing Partners, Philadelphia, passed safety testing. Moroch & Associates, Dallas, handles the Texas/Oklahoma campaign.
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