McDonald’s popular McRib sandwich is making a comeback one more time under a new interactive marketing campaign.
Under the McRib Farewell Tour II campaign, consumers can use their keyboard to build their own rock concert light show at McRib.com around two songs about the McRib sandwich, Hold You One More Time and You Left Your Mark on Me. The show can then be recorded and sent to friends via e-mail. For a limited time, some 2,700 McDonald’s restaurants in 44 markets will offer the sandwich, a boneless pork rib patty topped with pickles, onions and barbeque sauce on a bun.
T-shirt decals that pay homage to the McRib Sandwich and McRib wallpaper can be downloaded. Again this year, a petition to keep the McRib Sandwich on the menu past the promotional period is available online. Last year, a similar petition drew 100,000 signatures. The tongue-in-cheek petition doesn’t necessarily mean the sandwich will come back again, but is a way to keep the interest up.
“There is a dedicated fan base out there,” said Troy Scillian, executive creative director at Dallas-based Moroch Partners, the agency that handles the campaign. “What we have done is use a full range of media to connect with our customers. We wanted [the campaign] to not only let fans know the McRib is back, but give them through the Web something fun. It’s a great way to engage the customer.”
The McRib Sandwich was first introduced in McDonald’s in 1982. The QSR planned to remove it from the menu following a promotion around the sandwich last year called the McRib Farewell Tour (PROMO Xtra, Nov. 2, 2005), but wanted to give fans one last taste.
McDonald’s also created a page on MySpace at MySpace.com/BonelessPigFarmer.com touting the Boneless Pig Farmers Association of America and videos from the association on YouTube. The MySpace offers a message from Pete McCoy, a pig farmer: “Help us stand up for the boneless pigs, cause they can’t stand up for themselves.”
To build excitement around the campaign, McDonald’s is launching street team activities in some markets. For example, in Albuquerque, NM, street teams on Monday held a two- to three-hour event in which people lined up to bob for Arch cards and other prizes in barbecue sauce, Terry Brown, account director at Moroch said. Street teams in other markets will distribute footballs, T-shirts, bumper stickers and other premiums tied to the campaign, he said.
The QSR is promoting the sandwich via a 30-second TV spot that shows people camping out in a long line wrapped around several buildings. The front the line reveals people are waiting to buy the new McRib sandwich. Radio spots, P-O-P and online materials also support.
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