McDonald's Monopoly
When noon time came around today, I could think of no better way to poison my body than to go to McDonald's for lunch. Plus, it's that time of year again... time for McDonald's Monopoly! Wooooooo!!!
In more recent editions of the Monopoly game, they have given away "Best Buy Bucks", and believe me, this was quite the windfall for McDonalds' employees. For every large soda cup or Big Mac carton they could smuggle out of the store, they were guaranteed at least $1 in Best Buy gift certificates. Steal a whole case of french fry boxes, and you just hit the mother lode. One Best Buy clerk recalled a customer who bought a laptop computer using only Best Buy Bucks. Now that's good for the economy.
This time around, it appears McDonald's learned their lesson. Perhaps more correctly, Best Buy learned their lesson, as Best Buy no longer sponsors the Monopoly game. Instead, your "Guaranteed Bonus" for buying Big Macs or Costello-Sizing your value meal is this: Up to $5 off a purchase at Toys R Us (maximum $5 per transaction), or up to 20% off a purchase at Foot Locker.
.... Audience, please be reminded that when the applause sign is blinking, you are supposed to clap.
So my big reward for getting a few hundred calories fatter is "saving" money by purchasing shoes at the most overpriced athletic store there is, or buying $5 worth of toys for my non-existent children at the most overpriced toy store there is.
Something is wrong here. Marketing students, listen up. When you design a promotion like this, it should be your goal to include people from as many diverse demographics as you can. Everyone can find something at Best Buy, which is why that was a good promotion. Half of those people might have kids. But $5 gets you practically nothing. Fewer people still actually care to go to Foot Locker to buy shoes, and the timing is such that you've already missed the back to school and fall sports seasons.
So this year's McDonald's game is pretty lame. Happily, I saved both money and treadmill time today by keeping my McDonald's meal "unhealthy" sized, as opposed to "Holy Cholesterol On A Stick, I Can't Believe I'm Still Alive After Eating That!"
The Coup de Grace
If ever there was a sign that you stand no chance of winning any of the Monopoly prizes: My friend's French Fry carton had its normal complement of two Monopoly stickers. He peeled them back to reveal the following two properties: Baltic Avenue..... and..... Baltic Avenue. Enough said.
In more recent editions of the Monopoly game, they have given away "Best Buy Bucks", and believe me, this was quite the windfall for McDonalds' employees. For every large soda cup or Big Mac carton they could smuggle out of the store, they were guaranteed at least $1 in Best Buy gift certificates. Steal a whole case of french fry boxes, and you just hit the mother lode. One Best Buy clerk recalled a customer who bought a laptop computer using only Best Buy Bucks. Now that's good for the economy.
This time around, it appears McDonald's learned their lesson. Perhaps more correctly, Best Buy learned their lesson, as Best Buy no longer sponsors the Monopoly game. Instead, your "Guaranteed Bonus" for buying Big Macs or Costello-Sizing your value meal is this: Up to $5 off a purchase at Toys R Us (maximum $5 per transaction), or up to 20% off a purchase at Foot Locker.
.... Audience, please be reminded that when the applause sign is blinking, you are supposed to clap.
So my big reward for getting a few hundred calories fatter is "saving" money by purchasing shoes at the most overpriced athletic store there is, or buying $5 worth of toys for my non-existent children at the most overpriced toy store there is.
Something is wrong here. Marketing students, listen up. When you design a promotion like this, it should be your goal to include people from as many diverse demographics as you can. Everyone can find something at Best Buy, which is why that was a good promotion. Half of those people might have kids. But $5 gets you practically nothing. Fewer people still actually care to go to Foot Locker to buy shoes, and the timing is such that you've already missed the back to school and fall sports seasons.
So this year's McDonald's game is pretty lame. Happily, I saved both money and treadmill time today by keeping my McDonald's meal "unhealthy" sized, as opposed to "Holy Cholesterol On A Stick, I Can't Believe I'm Still Alive After Eating That!"
The Coup de Grace
If ever there was a sign that you stand no chance of winning any of the Monopoly prizes: My friend's French Fry carton had its normal complement of two Monopoly stickers. He peeled them back to reveal the following two properties: Baltic Avenue..... and..... Baltic Avenue. Enough said.