McDonald's® Prepares to 'Go Active!™' With Plans for ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games as 100 Day Countdown Begins
PRNewswire
OAK BROOK, Ill.
May 5, 2004
With only 100 days until the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games begin, McDonald's prepares to "Go Active!" with a wide variety of Olympic initiatives showcasing the company's ongoing commitment to balanced, active lifestyles and the spirit and ideals of the Olympic Games.
Plans include:
-- A new approach to worldwide Olympic activation focusing on
McDonald's ongoing effort to encourage physical activity, including
a Go Active! Day on-site at the Olympic Games
-- A newly-expanded menu of variety and choice at three special
McDonald's Olympic Food Service sites at the Games
-- McDonald's Olympic Champion Crew program, recognizing top performers
from around the world for outstanding "i'm lovin' it™" service
-- New global advertising featuring top athletes including basketball
superstar Yao Ming
"The Olympic Games and the ideals they represent are perfectly aligned with our strong commitment to helping people everywhere live more balanced, active lives," said Charlie Bell, McDonald's President and CEO. "This new, focused approach to the Olympic Games will be infused with the same 'i'm lovin' it' attitude and spirit that has become the hallmark of our brand today. We are taking a fresh, modern direction with one of our most enduring and successful partnerships."
McDonald's became an official sponsor of the Olympic Games in 1976 and has a long-standing commitment to the Olympic Movement. At the 1968 Olympic Winter Games, McDonald's airlifted hamburgers to U.S. athletes competing in Grenoble, France who reported they were homesick for McDonald's food. Since then, McDonald's has served its menu of choice and variety to millions of athletes, their families and fans.
The ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games mark McDonald's fourth Olympic Games as a TOP Sponsor and fifth as the Official Restaurant of the Olympic Games. In 2004, McDonald's announced the continuation of its Sponsorship for the next eight consecutive Games through 2012.
McDonald's Brings "Go Active!" To Athens
From an interactive website (GoActive.com) for consumers in partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ... to a worldwide restaurant program with stepometers ... to community runs and walks tied to Olympic Day, June 23 ... McDonald's will continue to encourage consumers to "Go Active!" as part of its overall Olympic initiatives.
In addition, the company will work with a team of world-famous Olympic athletes including Yao Ming, Venus and Serena Williams and Olympic gold medallist in racewalking Robert Korzeniowski of Poland to bring Go Active! messages to life in a number of creative ways for consumers. And, on the ground in Athens, McDonald's plans to host a special Go Active! Day on August 24th.
McDonald's Olympic Champion Crew Program
As the world's greatest athletes gather in Athens, they will be served their favorite McDonald's food by McDonald's Olympic Champion Crew, winners of country competitions held this past year around the globe. These 300 top performers from 33 countries were chosen from McDonald's 1.5 million crew in more than 100 countries. They will practice their award-winning "i'm lovin' it" service skills before a worldwide audience at McDonald's restaurant sites at the Olympic Games. Team members will be announced in the near future.
Feeding The Athletes
As the Official Restaurant of the 2004 Olympic Games, McDonald's will operate three special full-service restaurants, one serving athletes, coaches and officials in the Olympic Village; one serving media at the Main Press Center; and the third feeding spectators at the Athens Olympic Sports Complex (OAKA).
Guests from around the world will enjoy a familiar taste of home with a wide variety of menu options -- from worldwide favorites such as the Big Mac® sandwich and World Famous Fries® to McDonald's Premium Salads, Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfaits and popular breakfast items including the Egg McMuffin® sandwich.
"We are offering the most comprehensive variety of menu items in our history with the Olympic Games," said Bell. "This is in keeping with our worldwide effort to meet the needs of our customers by being relevant to their lifestyles."
Throughout the ATHENS 2004 Games, McDonald's expects to serve more than 230,000 Big Mac sandwiches, 400,000 servings of French Fries, 220,000 orders of Chicken McNuggets and 100,000 Premium Salads.
Worldwide Promotions and Advertising
Several new global McDonald's Olympic-themed commercials will reflect the company's long-standing commitment to the Olympic Movement. The ads, which will include appearances by top athletes such as Yao Ming, will debut this spring and summer, and continue McDonald's proud tradition of bringing the unique emotion and spirit of the Games to life for customers worldwide.
In addition, McDonald's countries around the world will offer a combination of special restaurant promotions and Olympic-themed advertising and packaging to celebrate the ATHENS 2004 Games. Plans include:
-- McDonald's Europe -- an estimated 16 countries throughout Europe,
including Greece, will feature an exclusive Go Active! Adult Happy
Meal® program, offering a Premium Salad, bottled water and
stepometer during the Olympic Games time period
-- McDonald's Australia -- plans an Olympic-themed Happy Meal promoting
fun and active lifestyles along with special Happy Meal packaging
and decor
-- McDonald's Japan -- plans an Olympic-themed game featuring
instant-win and premium prizes
-- McDonald's China -- offers an Olympic-themed promotion called "Gold
Medal Selections" with special beverage cup and advertising that
features Olympic athletes
-- McDonald's USA -- to feature Olympic athletes on themed packaging
and POP, new Olympic-themed advertising and the launch of a premium
new menu item
McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) is the world's leading foodservice retailer with more than 30,000 local restaurants, serving nearly 47 million people each day in over 100 countries. More than 80 percent of McDonald's restaurants around the world are owned and operated by independent, local businessmen and women.
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SOURCE: McDonald's
CONTACT: Lisa Howard of McDonald's Corporation, +1-630-623-5044, or
lisa.howard@mcd.com ; or Adam Scholder of Burson-Marsteller, +1-312-596-3529,
or adam_scholder@chi.bm.com