News
McDonald's kids' Shrek promo includes fruits & veggies push
May 18, 2010
McDonald's has teamed up with DreamWorks Animation in a promotion for "Shrek Forever After," the final chapter of the Shrek series. The marketing program includes a worldwide focus to encourage children to eat more fruit, vegetables and dairy as part of their McDonald's meals.
The Shrek promotion launched in the United States May 14 and will be followed by an international rollout throughout the summer.
"Three years ago Shrek helped us launch our biggest worldwide promotion of fruit, vegetables and dairy," said Dean Barrett, senior vice president, McDonald's global marketing, in a news release. "Now he's back, with his famous friends, to help us communicate the great taste and fun of these foods in new and even more impactful ways. We anticipate the response to our Happy Meal choice items such as Apple Dippers and low-fat milk jugs will be greater than ever."
This new Shrek-themed promotion, focusing on the great taste and appeal of fruits and vegetables, reflects McDonald's ongoing commitment to kids and families and making these foods fun for kids to eat. McDonald's is broadening the approach by delivering the "great taste" on Shrek packaging, point-of-purchase marketing materials at kids' eye-level, TV commercials, online and in social media.
"We all face the challenge of motivating our children to even try vegetables, let alone convince them that they tase good and are fun to eat," says Paul Gately, Ph.D. and professor of exercise and obesity at Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds, United Kingdom and a member of McDonald's Global Advisory Council. "Programs like this can be an important step in creating new attitudes with youngsters and actually motivating them to try something new."
In 2007, McDonald's featured Shrek on the packaging of Happy Meal choice items such as milk jugs and Apple Dippers. Today, McDonald's estimates more than half of Happy Meals sold worldwide include a fruit, vegetable, milk, juice or water option.
In addition, as a supporter of Produce for Better Health Foundation's Fruits & Veggies—More Matters national health campaign and their Campaign for Children's Health, McDonald's now includes the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters logo on the Shrek-themed Apple Dippers packaging. More information is available atwww.FruitsAndVeggiesMoreMatters.org.
In the United States, kids can "Shrek Out" their Happy Meals with Apple Dippers and low-fat white or chocolate milk. Around the world, children can choose such items with their Happy Meals as:
- Apple bags in Australia, and during the Shrek promotion, one in four packages will offer free Shrek ogre ears
- Corn cups, cherry tomatoes and carrots in Latin America
- Organic milk, fruit bags (apple slices and grapes) and carrot sticks in the United Kingdom and Europe
- Corn cups in Japan
Fun pack, online promotions
At participating U.S. McDonald's restaurants, guests can purchase and share new, limited-time Shrek Forever After-themed McNuggets of Fun Packs and Shrek collectible glassware and can gain access to unique digital experiences with fun rewards. Kids can also "Shrek Out" their Happy Meal with Apple Dippers and low-fat Milk Jugs featuring Shrek-themed graphics.
Each 20-piece McNuggets of Fun Pack and 10-piece Chicken McNuggets will include a McNugget of Fun Code that unlocks fun family games and rewards online. By entering a code, families receive a reward such as 25 prints from photo-sharing site Snapfish by HP, a one-night Redbox DVD movie rental or a Shrek flash mini game pack from Activision.
Shrek enthusiasts can also collect four unique Shrek–themed glasses available for $1.99 each with any food purchase for a limited time while supplies last. The double-sided glasses show the Shrek characters in both a familiar way and in a way never before seen.
Talking Shrek Happy Meal toys (available from May 14 – June 10) and distinctive Shrek character watches (available from June 11 – 24) are also part of the promotion, while supplies last.
Timed to the Shrek promotion, McDonald's is unveiling Stage M, an action-packed interactive, online experience for kids featuring exciting new music videos recorded by popular kids' artists Brandon Smith, musician and star of "Sonny with a Chance," and Olympic gymnast and singer Carly Patterson. The music videos use colorful animation and fun tunes to engage kids in the taste and appeal of fruits and vegetables. Online components also include kid-friendly activities and games that allow parents and kids to interact with Shrek characters, star in their own music videos and play games involving fruits and vegetables.
A new section on McDonald's global website,www.aboutmcdonalds.com/parents, scheduled to go live this week, is designed for parents as a resource about food and nutrition. Families will find recipes and advice from McDonald's chef Dan Coudreaut, explore Happy Meal choices from Argentina to the United Kingdom and discover more about McDonald's philosophy in communicating with kids.
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