Environmental Group Hammers McDonald’s Over Hummers
McDonald’s has come under fire from an environmental group over a Happy Meal promotion that gives away toy Hummers as premiums.
Environmental Working Group (EWG) is asking McDonald’s to stop the promotion, saying it’s sending the wrong message to kids. The group charges that Hummers, a General Motors brand, are tied to high levels of pollution that can cause children to develop asthma. The QSR this month began offering one of eight different Hummer toy vehicles in its Happy Meals for boys and Polly Pocket miniature dolls for girls. McDonald’s made 42 million toy Hummers as part of the promotion.
“McDonald’s is here promoting Hummers, the least fuel efficient and probably most pollutant vehicle people can buy at a time when gas prices are at an all-time high,” Environmental Working Group spokesperson Lauren Sucher said. “Where’s the common sense in that?”
But McDonald’s says EWG’s claims are full of gas. The company says it’s offering toys, not the real thing and has no plans to end its Happy Meal promotion.
EWG this week plans to send petitions signed by some 4,500 consumers asking McDonald’s COO and President Ralph Alvarez to stop the “ill-advised and offensive promotion,” which ends Thursday. Consumers can sign a petition (a pre-typed e-mail) addressed to Alvarez from an interactive Web site EWG developed, RonaldMcHummer.com.
“The fast-food chain that helped make our kids the fattest on Earth is now selling future car buyers on the fun of driving a supersized, smog-spewing, gas-guzzling SUV originally built for the military,” the Web site says.
In addition, the Washington, DC-based group is asking consumers to write their own slogan or message about the Happy Meal giveaway to appear underneath McDonald’s famous golden arches on the site. Visitors are also using the site to take shots at McDonald’s. On the site, consumers can vote for their favorite slogan. They include: “Global Warming, I’m Lovin’ It” and “Roses Are Red, Violets are Blue, Until the Hummer, The Skies Had Been Too.” More than 75,000 people created slogans on the site and another 60,000 people voted for their favorite, Sucher said.
Hummer said its vehicles aren’t the gas guzzling polluters EWG claims they are. The midsize H3 Hummer’s fuel economy is equivalent to other midsize SUVs (up to 20 mpg), said Hummer spokesperson Dayna Hart. Unlike other luxury brands, Hummer “has always met all fuel economy or emissions requirements,” she said.
Despite the controversy, McDonald’s Hummer promotion was off to a good start. In the first five days of the promotion, the company distributed about 10,000 premiums, Hart said. “The McDonalds Hummer toys have been extremely popular with children and we understand that the toys went quickly in the Happy Meals,” she said.
“We respect the Environmental Working Group’s right to express their objections to the Hummer Happy Meal toy promotion,” Hart added. “We are fortunate to live in a society in which people have the right to express themselves, just like consumers have a right to choose vehicles that meet their needs.”
McDonald’s spokesperson Shannelle Armstrong would not say how many Hummer toys the company has distributed. She only added, “All of our Happy Meal promotions are extremely successful. People love our Happy Meal property.”
McDonald’s typically plans its Happy Meal promotions 12- to 18-months in advance. McDonald’s partnered with Hummer for its appeal, capturing the imagination of children and its relevance to the marketplace, Armstrong said.
“It was an iconic vehicle design,” she said. “It really sparked the imagination of children. It’s a cute property.”
Regarding EWG’s forthcoming petition, McDonald’s said it’s open to hearing consumers’ concerns.
“We want to hear what groups and groups of consumers want to share with us,” Armstrong said. “We are a socially responsible corporation. We welcome the final conversation.”
What’s up next for McDonald’s Happy Meals? Mario. Starting Friday, McDonald’s will offering six active toys from Nintendo’s world of Mario designed to get kids up and active. As part of the promotion, McDonald’s is encouraging kids to Take the Mario Challenge via a series of active challenges that come with each toy.
In addition, kids can visit HappyMeals.com for a chance to win a Nintendo DS Lite, a play system for kids on the go and two Mario games. The Mario Happy Meal premium promotion runs through Sept. 21, or until supplies last. Online materials, in-store signage and P-O-P support.
