McDonalds are looking to raise the profile of the 'Big Mac' by using the medium of hip-hop as a marketing tool. The fast food giant will offer to pay willing rappers to name check the burger in their tracks. According to Advertising Age magazine, any profit to be made by the artists will correspond directly to songs chart success and popularity, as the burger chain will pay rappers up to $5 every time a song mentioning the Big Mac is played on TV and radio in the US.
The
Marketing Firm involved, Maven Strategies, have implemented such a campaign before, last year securing name checks for Seagram's
Gin in the work of such artists as Twista and Kanye West. The strategy follows the documented boost that products have received in the past following a mention in a contemporary track. Rappers
Jay-Z, 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg are known to have improved sales of certain rather glamorous brand names such as Courvoisier,
Gucci, Dom Perignon, Bentley and Porsche by alluding to them in their songs. Whether similar artists can be persuaded to name check a less glamorous product remains to be seen.
McDonald's say the deal reflects the popularity of hip hop with young people, which is true, but the policy will expose young people to promotion that they may not realise is the result of a financial deal, inviting criticism from consumer groups. Health experts have also criticised the deal as it clearly involves promoting junk food to kids, which is bad, and will only contribute to rising levels of obesity. Time to get Jamie Oliver on the case, perhaps.