McDonald’s Corp. today is out with its latest Monopoly game that offers nearly $200 million in cash and prizes, with new partners Toys R Us and Footlocker.
This year, players have five ways to win via an instant giveaway, collect and win, instant win, guaranteed bonus and an online game. In-store, people collect game pieces of “winning combinations” off McMuffin breakfast sandwiches, medium or large drinks hash browns, Big Mac sandwiches and Angus Burger sandwiches.
More than 557.1 million game pieces have been made for the promotion, up nearly 1 million from last year. Game pieces are available at from participating McDonald’s restaurants, Toys R Us stores Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker or Kids Foot Locker outlets or online at PlayatMcD.com. Players roll virtual dice once for every code they enter up to 10 codes per day. Game tokens on the virtual board will move to the corresponding number of spaces.
Players can also win instant prizes by peeling Instant Win game stamps from product packaging. Five $25,000 cash prizes are up for grabs, in addition to $50 McDonald’s Arch cards and food prizes.
A $1 million prize will be available each week during the four-week promotion, the company said.
One of the company’s big pushes this year is to highlight that people really win at its Monopoly games. To prove it, McDonald’s will showcase past winners on packaging and in its advertising.
“Customers like to know people win,” Douglas Freeland, director of U.S. brand innovation for McDonald’s USA, said. “We want to let people know they can win too.”
McDonald’s is also offering guaranteed bonus prizes as part of its in-store game. Game pieces will reveal offers for a downloadable computer game or “Monopoly” mobile game or instant win gift cards and discounts at Foot Locker Stores or Toys “R” Us in $1, $3 or $5 denominations. People who buy a premium chicken sandwich, chicken selects or large fries will receive a guaranteed bonus game piece, Freeland said.
Previously, McDonald’s partnered with Best Buy for its Monopoly promotion, offering Best Buy bucks.
Online, people enter 10-digit codes printed on their game pieces at PlayatMcD.com
People can win instantly by landing on Chance, Go, Free Parking or Community Chest game board spaces. They can also virtually collect property sets for a chance to win American Express gift cards ranging from $50 to $25,000, Hasbro game or Toys R Us gift cards.
One of the keys to McDonald’s success with the game is it keeps the promotion fresh each year.
“We brought some innovation to make it even more enjoyable for customers to play Monopoly at McDonald’s,” Freeland said.
The Monopoly game runs in-store through Oct. 29 or while supplies last, and through Nov. 13 online. TV spots, online materials and P-O-P support the promotion. The Marketing Store is the lead agency handling the campaign. Tribal DDB is in charge of online advertising, Alma DDB handles Hispanic marketing advertising, while IW Group manages Asian American advertising and PR. Golin Harris oversees general market PR, while VPE Public Relations is in charge of PR for the Hispanic market. Burrell manages PR and advertising for the African American market.
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