McDonald’s Corp., Oak Brook, IL, will launch a “Dollar Menu” on Nov. 1, its first value menu in seven years. Eight items — from Big N’Tasty burger (with lettuce and tomato) to a Fruit N’Yogurt Parfait and Value Fries — will sell for $1 each. The burger and a McChicken fried sandwich bow Oct. 4. National ads support the push.

McD needs to spur sales: Systemwide sales through August were up only two percent to $27.7 billion and are expected to grow in the low single-digits for all of 2002. McDonald’s will invest $300 million to $400 million to renovate U.S. units next year.

Separately, McD has signed deals with videogame maker Electronic Arts, Inc. and ABC Television, New York City. McD will get product placement in a new game Sims Online, due out for the holidays, per Reuters. The game lets players buy a McDonald’s kiosk to earn “simoleans” (Sims currency) and improve their play by eating the QSR’s fare.

On Sept. 20, McD kicks off a co-marketing effort to promote ABC’s fall prime-time lineup, sponsoring programming during the 8 to 9 p.m. (ET) slot — dubbed “Happy Hour” by the network. Happy Hour P-O-P appears in more than 13,000 McDonald’s units. The ABC Happy Hour Quiz — 13 questions about ABC shows — appears on tray liners and bags. Players in the Sept. 23-Oct. 7 contest can win items featured in ABC programs such as “The Drew Carey Show.” McD has pitched ABC’s fall line up in the past as part of its partnership with ABC parent Disney.

McDonald’s Corp., Oak Brook, IL, will launch a “Dollar Menu” on Nov. 1, its first value menu in seven years. Eight items — from Big N’Tasty burger (with lettuce and tomato) to a Fruit N’Yogurt Parfait and Value Fries — will sell for $1 each. The burger and a McChicken fried sandwich bow Oct. 4. National ads support the push.

McD needs to spur sales: Systemwide sales through August were up only two percent to $27.7 billion and are expected to grow in the low single-digits for all of 2002. McDonald’s will invest $300 million to $400 million to renovate U.S. units next year.

Separately, McD has signed deals with videogame maker Electronic Arts, Inc. and ABC Television, New York City. McD will get product placement in a new game Sims Online, due out for the holidays, per Reuters. The game lets players buy a McDonald’s kiosk to earn “simoleans” (Sims currency) and improve their play by eating the QSR’s fare.

On Sept. 20, McD kicks off a co-marketing effort to promote ABC’s fall prime-time lineup, sponsoring programming during the 8 to 9 p.m. (ET) slot — dubbed “Happy Hour” by the network. Happy Hour P-O-P appears in more than 13,000 McDonald’s units. The ABC Happy Hour Quiz — 13 questions about ABC shows — appears on tray liners and bags. Players in the Sept. 23-Oct. 7 contest can win items featured in ABC programs such as “The Drew Carey Show.” McD has pitched ABC’s fall line up in the past as part of its partnership with ABC parent Disney.