List of McDonald's marketing campaigns explained

This is a list of marketing promotions by McDonald's restaurants.

Slogans

Here is a partial list of slogans:[1]

Arab world

Argentina

Australia

Austria

The Bahamas

Brazil

Bulgaria

Canada

English

French

Chile

China

Costa Rica

Czech Republic

El Salvador

Finland

France

Georgia

Germany

Guatemala

Honduras

Hong Kong

English

Cantonese

Hungary

Iceland

India

Indonesia

Israel

Italy

Jamaica

Japan

Malaysia

Mexico

New Zealand

Netherlands

Norway

Panama

Paraguay

Peru

Philippines

Poland

Portugal

Puerto Rico

Romania

Russia

Slovakia

Slovenia

South Africa

Spain

Sweden

Taiwan

Trinidad and Tobago

Turkey

United Kingdom

Ukraine

Uruguay

United States

English

Spanish

Jingles

Perhaps the best-known jingle was "You deserve a break today" a song sometimes incorrectly attributed to a young Barry Manilow,[8] (who did sing it in one version of the commercial and thus included it in his "Very Strange Medley" of product theme songs, with others he had written) was in fact, written by jingle singer/songwriter Kenny Karen. The melody was either used in, or originates from, a song called "We're Together", credited on The Brass Ring S/T album as being composed by A. Ham/K. Gavin/N. Kipner/S. Woloshin. In the accompanying TV commercial,[9] there was almost no mention of food. Instead, the ad featured an all-male McDonald's cleaning crew, singing after-hours about their individual tasks, and emphasizing that "at McDonald's it's clean!" just before launching into the almost operatic chorus: "You deserve a break today / So get up and get away / To McDonald's!"

Another well known jingle was the "McDonald's is your kind of place / It's such a happy place / Hap, hap, hap, happy place..." from 1967, sung to the tune of "Down by the Riverside".[10]

Big Mac

Russian (1990–2022)

"It's a good time for the great taste" (1984–1988)

There is also a full version used in one commercial.

Good Time, Great Taste (1988–1990)

There is also a full version sung by Ronald McDonald, some kids, and the McDonaldland gang in one commercial.

Food, Folks and Fun (1990–1991)

There is also a full version used in one commercial.

What you want is what you get (1992–1994)

There was also an extended version used in one commercial which goes like this:

There was also a full version used in 25 years of The best of McDonald's on TV VHS which goes like this:

Have you had your break today? (Big Mac/Canadian version, 1995–1997)

There was also a Canadian version that also promoted the Big Mac.

Livet har sina goda stunder

This campaign was used in Sweden in 1996 and was recorded by Swedish band Ultima Thule.

Every time a good time

This campaign was used in Germany in 1999 and was originally recorded by Billy White and Patricia Darcy Jones.[11] [12] [13] [14] [15] The campaign was also used in the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Sweden, Taiwan, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Hong Kong. "Every time a good time" song was written by: David Buskin, Janet Fox, Susan Hamilton and published by TUTTAPANNA MUSIC.

I'm lovin' it (2003–present)

There are also two full versions sung by Justin Timberlake. The first one was used in one commercial.

The second one was used in one commercial.

McDonald's menu song

The McDonald's $1,000,000 Menu Song was an instant-win promotion created as part of an advertising campaign, which ran from 1988 to early 1989. As the name suggests, the song, which was based on Reunion's 1974 hit single "Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)", incorporates all of the items (at that time) on the McDonald's menu: sandwiches, other lunch/dinner items, breakfast items, dessert items, and drinks, in that order.

Promotion overview

Either flexi-discs or cardboard records containing the song were attached to advertising inserts and distributed within newspapers across the United States. On all but one of the issued recordings, the chorus was not able to recite the song perfectly from start to finish; when the chorus made a mistake, the record was over. On the unique, prize-winning recording, the singers were able to complete the song; this record was a $1,000,000 instant winner.

Approximately 80 million records were distributed, and only one of them was a winner.[16] The promotion was won by Galax, Virginia, resident Charlene Price, who used the money to purchase the convenience store where she worked.[17]

United States

In the United States, the lyrics read as follows:

Canada

In Canada, the lyrics were as follows:

Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, the lyrics were as follows:

Québec

Around the same time (1989–90), a French version of the ad campaign was produced for Quebec; however, no promotion was attached.[18]

The order given in this version was sandwiches, other lunch/dinner items, dessert items, drinks, and breakfast. The Québec lyrics were as follows:

Australia

The McDonald’s menu song was also versioned in Australia around 1990. The Australian lyrics were as follows:

Media tie-ins

The following movies and TV shows were made into Happy Meal and other promotional products:

4Kids Entertainment

20th Century Studios

Aardman Animations

Activision

DreamWorks Animation

Fox Kids/Jetix

Hasbro

Lego Group

Lucasfilm

Marvel Studios

Mattel

Miramax Films

Nickelodeon

Nintendo

Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies

Sanrio

Sega

Sony Pictures Entertainment

Televisa

Universal Pictures

Walt Disney Studios and Jim Henson Productions

(1996):

(1997):

Warner Bros.

Cartoon Network

Miscellaneous

Scratch-off games and sweepstakes promotions

United States

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Advertising Slogans, "M" . TV Acres.com . August 4, 2006 . October 31, 2007.
  2. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Web site: McDonald's Commercial - "Something Big" (1991) . YouTube. August 25, 2011 .
  3. News: Welcome to WcDonald's: McDonald's Brings Anime Fans' Favourite Fictional Restaurant to Life . 21 February 2024 . Newswire Canada .
  4. Web site: マクドナルドのサイト、ドロンボー一味に乗っ取られる . 9 May 2009 . McDonald's website has been taken over by the Dronbow gang . ITmedia . ja .
  5. Web site: Campaign SpotlightPress Release McDonald's realizes WcDonald's from anime and manga communities . Kimi Lim . 21 March 2024 . Adobo Magazine .
  6. Web site: Billboard from a 2003 McKiełbasa Campaign in Poland..
  7. News: Why McDonald's flipped its 'M' to become 'WcDonald's' . Joseph Lamour, Samantha Kubota . 22 February 2024 . NBC Today . NBC (USA) .
  8. http://www.classicbands.com/manilow.html Barry Manilow
  9. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Web site: McDonalds Television Ad - c. 1970's . YouTube. April 11, 2006 .
  10. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Web site: McDonald's Commercial 1967 . YouTube. December 6, 2007 .
  11. Web site: dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160314141237/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtrpaL2JoEw. March 14, 2016. Jingle "Every Time a Good Time" (1999) RARITÄT . YouTube.
  12. Web site: Jingle Every time a good time, recording session.
  13. Web site: Jingle "Every time a good time". July 29, 2018.
  14. Web site: Jingle 'Every time a good time'.
  15. Web site: Jingle 'Every time a good time'.
  16. Book: Michael Gitter and Erika Glazer. Do You Remember TV? The Book That Takes You Back. 1999. 51. Chronicle Books.
  17. Web site: Va. Contest Winner Buys Bosses Out | Article from The Washington Post | HighBeam Research . https://web.archive.org/web/20121103054243/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1203537.html . dead . November 3, 2012 . June 4, 2009.
  18. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Web site: Pub Québec - McDonald's "Le Menu Chanté" . YouTube. July 19, 2009 .