McDonald’s Sponsors Report Cards

27Jan08

At a time when marketers are feeling the burden of social responsibility, it’s hard to imagine how this initiative came to pass. The Seminole Country Florida School District recently partnered with McDonald’s to subsidize the printing of report card envelopes for primary school students. The envelopes promise a free Happy Meal to any student that: (1) achieves all As and Bs; (2) demonstrates proper citizenship; (3) has a good attendance record.

The program has been discontinued due to a deluge of complaints from parents, and for good reason. Advertising to the naive and impressionable aside, childhood obesity rates are spinning out of control in America. How can any school board, in good consience, blatantly overlook the welfare of children for the sake of its own bottom line?

Schools are always clamoring for funding. I get it. But if you must advertise to children, choose a partner that can offer an equally coveted yet healthy reward. Perhaps a brand new bicycle from the local sporting goods chain, or free swimming lessons from the YMCA? The school board required a measly $1,600 to print these envelopes. Surely they didn’t need to approach the behemoths of advertising to acquire it.

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Tags: advertising, marketing, McDonald's, report cards