News
McDonald's debuts smoothies at Olympic Winter Games
February 11, 2010
McDonald's Corp. previewed its upcoming Real Fruit Smoothies Thursday as the company launched its global activities for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The first official look at the new menu item was part of a food competition at the McDonald's restaurant in the Olympic Main Media Center starring Olympic gold medalists Cassie Campbell, Shawn Johnson, Picabo Street and Katarina Witt.
The smoothies as well as frappes, the final piece in the McCafé specialty beverage line, are still under test in the United States, and the official nationwide launch is targeted for this summer.
As the only Official Restaurant of the Olympic Games feeding the athletes, McDonald's also shared details of sponsorship activities taking place in Vancouver and in markets around the world.
Product debut, sampling
At the kickoff event, McDonald's director of culinary innovation chef Dan Coudreaut introduced McDonald's Real Fruit Smoothies, available in two flavors: Strawberry Banana and Wild Berry. The new smoothies will be available at the Games in McDonald's three Olympic restaurants.
McDonald's also served "mini versions" of its customers' favorites at the event, including Big Mac sandwiches, Chicken McNuggets and French Fries, to reinforce its messaging of McDonald's quality food.
Feeding the athletes
Vancouver marks McDonald's eighth consecutive Games as the Official Restaurant. Over the years, McDonald's has served millions of meals to Olympic athletes, media and fans as a Worldwide Partner of the Olympic Movement.
McDonald's two new restaurants in the Olympic Villages in Vancouver and Whistler will feed more than 10,000 athletes, coaches and officials. The McDonald's restaurant in the Main Media Center will feed the nearly 3,000 media expected.
These restaurants are open 24 hours a day and offer McCafé beverages and snacks. The featured item on the Olympic menu is Chicken McNuggets, which will be served with a choice of dipping sauces, including a new Spicy Szechwan option. McDonald's Big Mac sandwich, Egg McMuffin, Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait, and many other customer favorites also are available.
Additionally, for the first time at the Games, McDonald's is serving Snack Wraps created by Coudreaut and his culinary team, in addition to the new Real Fruit Smoothies.
McDonald's Olympic crew
McDonald's Canada president John Betts introduced the members of McDonald's Olympic Champion Crew, comprised of 300 top-performing restaurant employees from across Canada who are staffing the three McDonald's Olympic restaurants.
"McDonald's is proud to welcome the world to Vancouver and we're proud to celebrate the Games," Betts said. "We have our best serving the world's best athletes."
McDonald's Canada LTOs
At more than 1,400 restaurants across Canada, including more than 30 McDonald's restaurants in Vancouver and Whistler, customers can enjoy new limited-time menu offerings such as the S'mores Pie and the Crème Brulee Crunch McFlurry. Happy Meals will feature fun, interactive toy replicas of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games mascots.
Global activities
Around the globe, McDonald's has created special campaigns to share the Olympic spirit and excitement of the Games, including:
- Customers in the United States are seeing some of their favorite winter athletes on packaging in the 14,000 McDonald's restaurants.Graham Watanabe (men's snowboard), Jennifer Rodriguez (women's speedskating), J.R. Celski (men's speedskating), Dustin Byfuglien (men's hockey), Patrick Deneen (men's skiing), Kelly Clark (women's snowboard), Angela Ruggiero (women's ice hockey) and Paralympian Sean Halsted (alpine skiing) are currently featured on cups and bags. The latest McDonald's USA promotion features Chicken McNuggets and a new, limited-time Sweet Chili dipping sauce, available starting Feb. 12.
- McDonald's in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway are offering special Chicken McNuggets promotions under a "Share the Gold" theme, which include television and in-restaurant advertising.
- In Russia, the iconic Big Mac sandwich is being featured in print and television advertisements in honor of the Games. The new commercial celebrates athletes coming together at a McDonald's restaurant following Olympic Games events.
McDonald's Champion Kids program
Participants in the McDonald's Champion Kids program took part in the company's preview "games" with U.S. Olympic athletes gymnast Shawn Johnson and alpine skier Picabo Street. The McDonald's Champion Kids program debuted at the Beijing Games in 2008. It provides children ages 6-14 with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the Games first-hand.
"McDonald's has been feeding the Olympic athletes for nearly two decades — athletes tell us they love our food and we've earned their trust," said McDonald's president and chief operating officer Don Thompson in a news release. "We use the finest ingredients and insist on the highest standards from the farms of our trusted suppliers to our front counter — whether that counter is in a neighborhood McDonald's or in the Olympic Village."
McDonald's Olympic Games history
McDonald's became an Official Sponsor of the Olympic Games in 1976 and has a long-standing commitment to the Olympic Movement, which first began more than 40 years ago. At the 1968 Olympic Winter Games, McDonald's airlifted hamburgers to U.S. athletes competing in Grenoble, France, after they reported being homesick for McDonald's food.
Since then, the company has served its menu of choice and variety to millions of athletes, coaches, their families and fans. The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games marks McDonald's seventh Olympic Games as a Worldwide Partner and eighth as the Official Restaurant of the Olympic Games. McDonald's current sponsorship will continue through the London 2012 Olympic Summer Games.
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