McDonald's Pulls Ads From Florida Report Cards
Emily Bryson York
Advertising Age
January 18, 2008
CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- McDonald's Corp. has voluntarily
pulled its sponsorship of report-card covers in Seminole
County, Fla., public schools.
"This is a good day for parents and children in Seminole
County and anyone who believes that corporations should
not prey on children in schools," said Dr. Susan Linn,
director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free
Childhood. "We are pleased that McDonald's is listening
to parents all over the country who believe that report
cards should not be commercialized."
Cover printing costs
The fast-food giant had agreed to sponsor the
report-card jackets for the county's elementary schools
to cover a printing fee of $1,600. There are 27,000
children in the school district.
On the jackets, McDonald's offered a free happy meal to
any student with all A's and B's, two or fewer absences,
or good behavior in a given academic quarter. Susan
Pagan, an area parent, notified the Campaign for a
Commercial-Free Childhood, and an all-out
public-relations battle ensued by early December.
According to the campaign, the school district received
more than 2,000 calls of protest.
The school district could not be reached immediately for
verification.
"It was McDonald's decision to remove our trademarks
from report-card jackets in Seminole County, Fla.,
because we believe the focus should be on the importance
of a good education," said Bill Whitman, a spokesman for
McDonald's USA. "McDonald's, not the school district,
will cover the cost to reprint the report-card jackets."
Regina Klaers, a spokeswoman for the school district,
said in December that the school approached McDonald's
for the sponsorship, not vice versa. For the 10 years
prior to McDonald's sponsorship, Pizza Hut had picked up
the tab. During that time, Ms. Klaers said, there were
no parental complaints.
Parental initiative
"In the absence of needed government regulation to
protect schoolchildren from predatory companies like
McDonald's, the burden is on parents to be vigilant
about exploitative marketing aimed at children," Ms.
Linn said. "One parent can make a difference. There is
no doubt that the Seminole County ads would have
continued -- and violated McDonald's pledge to stop
advertising in elementary schools -- had one parent not
called attention to the problem."
Mr. Whitman of McDonald's said that support of education
and academic excellence is part of the company's
heritage. "Our support of education, as well as our
relationship with local schools across the country, is a
long-standing commitment and will continue," he said.
Last summer, McDonald's signed on to join the Better
Business Bureau's Children's Food and Advertising
Initiative. Signatories, including Kraft Foods and
Burger King, are to curb advertising to children and
focus on healthier options. The reductions were to have
been apparent by this January.