OAK BROOK, Ill. — As a worldwide sponsor and official partner of the FIFA World Cup, McDonald's is bringing the world's passion for football to life as part of the company's "i'm lovin' it" strategy of making stronger, more relevant connections with its customers around the world.
The restaurant chain's sponsorship of this premier sporting event provides it the opportunity to speak to consumers across the globe through the universal language of football, a shared interest among millions of customers and employees.
"McDonald's has the ability to touch more than 50 million people each day, so we are in the unique position to deliver the fun and excitement of one of the world's most prestigious football events in truly engaging and surprising ways," said Jeff Carl, McDonald's corporate vice president of global marketing. "Because we want our customers to feel closer to the World Cup, we have created a wide range of exclusive activities to bring the tournament to life."
The global centerpiece of McDonald's FIFA World Cup activation is the Player Escort Program. Through this exclusive initiative, which supports McDonald's commitment to balanced, active lifestyles, 1,408 children ages 6 to 10 years old will receive the chance to make their FIFA World Cup dreams come true throughout the tournament. At the start of all 64 official FIFA World Cup matches, McDonald's Player Escorts will walk onto the field hand-in-hand with the world's best football players and experience the glory of the World Cup firsthand. This year's Player Escort Program consists of a total of 51 countries, with 226 international children and 1,182 children from host country Germany. The McDonald's Player Escorts will also get a chance to feel the thrill of FIFA World Cup competition while playing friendly football matches as part of their own tournament taking place in select German host cities during the FIFA World Cup.
In markets around the world, McDonald's restaurants will engage customers through special promotions, contests, advertisements, in-store activations and special menu items to bring the excitement of FIFA World Cup to local communities.
