McDonald’s Olympics Advertising to Children in China
McDonald’s putting on a reality TV show for children a bit much for your tastes? In China, it’s just business as usual. Combining the Olympics and a competition based reality TV show is an ingenious way to advertise to children.
Interestingly enough, the short article translated below (from this week’s Modern Weekly) presents this in an overwhelmingly positive way. No mention of fast food being generally unhealthy (especially easy to influence children) or disapproval of the actions of foreign multinational companies in China.
But this reality TV show for children might help McDonald’s close KFC’s still huge lead in China.
Let’s take a look at the article:
Kid Reality Show
McDonald’s will join hands with the International Olympic Ｃommittee and CCTV to provide a reality TV-type competition show, allowing the winning 300 children an opportunity to participate in many different types of programs in the Olympics.
With under a year to go to the opening of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, China’s passion for the Olympics is rising at a breathtaking rate. When you add in the huge success of reality TV shows in China, McDonald’s move is likely to win big time. As one of McDonald’s advertising / marketing campaigns in China, “Olympic Cheering Little Champions” will begin to air in October of this year.
In comparison to standard advertising campaigns, this child reality TV show is an excellent opportunity for McDonald’s to pull Chinese consumers closer. This is the largest scale Olympics advertising strategy McDonald’s has ever put on, and has unlimited [emphasis mine] potential as a business opportunity for McDonald’s in China.
During the program, Chinese children will first take part in a test and then an artistic and essay contest. The contestants must show their understanding of the meaning of the Beijing Olympics “One World, One Dream” slogan in order to win a chance to continue on. After this, the children will participate in intelligence and athletic competitions with children from other countries, in order to find the final winners.
Thanks again for a great advertising campaign with the song THE MORE WE GET TOGETHER. I am a pre-k mteacher who sings this song everyday from day one till June graduation. I teach a multi population and I find children have their own universal language. Its grownups who teach racism