Product placement is hardly a new concept in the world of entertainment. Companies keen to embed products firmly in consumers’ minds have been plugging their goods through various media outlets since the early days of Hollywood. The first ever example was probably Gordon’s gin in 1951’s African Queen. Top Gun, partly funded by the US Navy, sent recruitment soaring. But McDonald’s plan to pay rappers to name-drop their ubiquitous ‘Big Mac’ sandwich into songs takes the concept one step further and arguably jars somewhat with the almost simultaneous launch of its healthy-eating campaign. After all, the statistics are pretty clear: the obesity problem in the US is especially bad in urban, underprivileged neighborhoods, which is exactly where rap music has mass appeal. Admittedly, rap music transcends the ‘urban poor’, but isn’t it about time McDonald’s stopped worrying so much about being “culturally relevant” and instead started doing more about being a responsible advertiser? It’s only when this happens that we will all start lovin’ (SIC) what McDonald’s does.
Corporate Citizenship Briefing, issue no: 81 – April, 2005
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