A LA Times story which broke on Monday has certainly caused a stir...never mind in the blogosphere, but with the actual subjects concerned.
The story documents the fact Disney and McDonalds have ended their working relationship with respect to Disney movie tie-ins to McDonalds Happy meals. The reason given is simple enough: Disney is essentially walking away from $100 million+ in royalties for the trinkets and collectables which come bundled in Happy Meals in order to "distance themselves from the epidemic of childhood obesity"
McDonalds angrily and immediately fired back to the article emphasizing that this was a mutual decision/agreement.
3 implications from my corner of the sandbox:
1) Guns don't kill people; PowerPoint doesn't Suck; McDonalds doesn't make you obese...with the exception of Charlton Heston, it comes down to parenting, common sense and the individual. Now that said, I do have particular views about the manipulative effect of misleading and false advertising, but that's another story for another day...
2) Interesting how quickly McD's responded. Companies typically respond too slowly or not at all...could this be a side-effect of the blogosphere's trickle-down impact on corporate communications (Shel, Neville?)
3) The third reason is somewhat personal and linked to the first...I take my kids to McDonalds on Sunday nights (not every Sunday night, but some) and they love the gifts they receive. This isn't about the children, it's about corporate greed, self-interest and spin. I feel confident in my ability to make smart and responsible decisions on behalf of my children, and whilst I can not and will not speak for others, there's still something about the announcement and the story that just doesn't ring true for me.
How about you?
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