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Arcos Dorados recognized for promoting reading among children

Arcos Dorados, the world's largest McDonald's franchisee operating in 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, has received the Latin American Excellence Award for its campaign, Happy Meal Books.

February 23, 2016

Arcos Dorados, the world's largest McDonald's franchisee operating in 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, has received the Latin American Excellence Award for its campaign, Happy Meal Books, which encourages reading among children. As part of the campaign, Arcos Dorados distributed approximately eight million books alongside Happy Meal orders, with an additional three million books downloaded electronically, according to a company press release. The award was granted by the European publication, "Communication Director," and recognizes excellence in communications.

In 2014, Arcos Dorados joined the McDonald's global initiative, Happy Meal Books, which is designed to promote educational development and inspire children and families to discover the joy of reading.

"We are thrilled that our ambitious plan to promote reading among millions of Latin American children has been such a success. We believe in the transformative power of books and their ability to enrich the lives of children, as well as their families. Families are at the heart of our business, and so we are pleased to combine the fun of the Happy Meal with more family reading time," said Daniel Schleiniger, senior director of Communications and Investor Relations at Arcos Dorados.

The winning campaign, which included print, TV and radio communications, achieved press coverage and a positive reaction on the company's social networks. As part of the initiative, Arcos Dorados strengthened its strategic partnerships with government agencies and non-governmental organizations in various countries so as to expand the reach of the program, particularly among low-income areas, the release stated.

The prize also recognized communications agencies Porter Novelli and Tribal Worldwide, which developed the campaign jointly with Arcos Dorados' local teams and agencies in each market.

The Excellence Awards are granted by the European publication, "Communication Director," which honors the achievements of companies and agencies in the field of corporate communications. This year's awards include a Latin American edition for the first time, covering five participating continents. Arcos Dorados is the first winner in its category and was selected by a jury of 30 specialists who highlighted the project as one of the most successful in Public Relations and Communications in the Corporate Social Responsibility category. The symposium and award-presentation ceremony and dinner will be held on April 14 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.