McDonalds has found an unlikely new partner in their quest to promote unhealthy foods to children: local law enforcement officers. As part of a statewide initiative, McDonalds will give out free bike helmets to children as part of the State “Caught being Safe Program“. During the spring and summer, police will stop children they see wearing helmets while biking and give them a coupon good for a free ice cream at McDonalds. While supporters of the program would most likely argue that McDonalds is generous and civic minded to support such a project, a more realistic appraisal of corporate behavior would suggest that McDonalds is more interested in promoting their product among young people. In November 2004, the public relations magazine PR Week reported that McDonald’s head of U.S. communications, Michael Donahue, is “an adherent of using third-party endorsers.” Generally these “third party endorsers” are PR firms paid for by McDonalds. Unfortunately, it looks like Michigan law enforcement is willing to do PR work for McDonalds for the price of a few bike helmets and ice cream cones.
Despite the huge amounts of money McDonalds spends on marketing, the local TV news seems to think it is a good idea to give the corporation plenty of free airtime as well. In the last three weeks the local news have run several stories about the fast food giant, all of which were very likely the result of marketing efforts by McDonalds corporation. Locals stations WOOD 8 and WXMI 17 both reported on the fiftieth anniversary of McDonalds, while WZZM 13 ran a story about McDonalds new coffee as well as a story about a McDonalds ad campaign that is paying hip hop artists to mention “Big Macs” in their songs. Of course the local news has also given free publicity to other fast food chains as well. WZZM 13 ran a story touting Burger King’s new, and rather unappetizing sounding, “enormous omelet breakfast sandwich.”
Recently Burger King has been targeted by the local chapter of a faith based justice group called Association for a More Just Society. The local AJS chapter has been protesting at a Grand Rapids area Burger King in solidarity with a group of Honduran workers that were fired without cause by the Burger King. This action is part of a national campaign by AJS called to draw attention to the violation of workers rights in Honduras by Burger King corporation and its subsidiaries.
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