McDonald's 1984 Olympics promotion
The McDonald's 1984 Olympics promotion was a food giveaway blunder that ended up costing the fast-food restaurant chain much more than expected, when the Soviet Union and their Eastern Bloc countries boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California.
History
With a history of using athletic prowess to sell fast food products, American restaurant chain McDonald's purchased major sponsor status for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, in addition to sponsoring several American teams competing at the event. McDonald's also invested in a major advertising campaign around the event.[1][2] In addition to the sponsorships and advertising, McDonald's prepared to repeat a successful giveaway promotion they deployed during the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montréal, Quebec, Canada, where customers were offered a chance to win products when the American team won a medal.[2]
In preparation for the promotion, McDonald's had
McDonald's promotion campaign was given an unexpected boost when the Soviet Union, along with the thirteen Eastern Bloc countries, boycotted the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics in retaliation for the United States' boycotting of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Russia as a protest against the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan. Iran and Libya also declined to participate for other reasons.[1][3] With several of the Olympic powerhouse teams absent, the U.S. easily dominated the Olympic Games and walked away with 174 medals, 83 of them gold.[1][3]
As the Games started and the American teams conquered podiums, customers were enthusiastic about exchanging their cards for free food. More cards were being handed out with each new order, offering more giveaway opportunities. Some 6,600 outlets reportedly faced shortages of the promoted items, especially the Big Macs.[3][2]
McDonald's have been discreet about the cost of the promotion, saying only it was the most expensive promotion in the franchise's history to date.[5] Marketing experts estimate it in the millions of dollars, especially since the chain normally makes a generous profit on each of the Big Macs it was now handing out for free.[1][3]
Despite the financial costs incurred in 1984, McDonald's repeated the "When the U.S. Wins, You Win" food prize promotion using the same game-piece format in both 1988 and 1996.[6][7][8] McDonald's would continue its partnership with the Olympic Games until 2017.[5]
Cultural references
References
- ^ a b c d e f O'Reilly, Terry (6 April 2013). "Famous Marketing Blunders". CBC. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Hollie, Pamela G. (10 August 1984). "Big Mac's Olympic Giveaway". New York Times. Archived from the original on 2021-05-18. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g Loc, Tim (11 October 2016). "Let's Remember McDonald's Marketing Disaster In The 1984 Olympics". LAist. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
- ^ a b c Kirk, Ian (18 March 2015). "Fantastically Flawed Marketing Campaigns: McDonald's, 1984 Olympics". Opportunity Marketing. Archived from the original on 28 February 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
- ^ a b c Wharton, David (16 June 2017). "Remember when McDonald's lost big at 1984 Los Angeles Games?". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 30 July 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
- ^ a b "1988 McDonald's television advertisement". YouTube. Leo Burnett. 1988. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ a b "1988 McDonald's television advertisement". YouTube. Leo Burnett. 1988. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ a b "1996 McDonald's television advertisement". YouTube. Leo Burnett. 1996. Retrieved 9 August 2021.