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‘Not responsible marketing’: Parents group lashes McDonald’s for kids book giveaway

McDona;d's Happy Readers

McDonald’s has come under fire from a parents’ group for a promotion it claims is encouraging children to eat more fast food to collect books.

Healthy eating lobby group The Parent’s Jury has taken aim at McDonalds’ Happy Reader promotion, which encourages children to collect Happy Meal token in return for books, noting that to collect all 10 books and 16 digital readers a child would need to consume 23 Happy Meals in just eight weeks.

McDonalds has responded branding the claim “ridiculous” and adding there are healthy versions of Happy Meals available. 

“It’s two to three meals a week,” Alice Pryor, a spokeswoman for The Parents’ Jury told Mumbrella. “They wouldn’t be running a promotion like this if it didn’t work.

“A lot of parents who would never buy McDonalds will have a very difficult time saying no their kids when they want more books. It’s a different thing from toys.”

McDonalds recently launched the promotion, which runs until September 30, and offers both comics and picture books such as Transformers, My Little Pony, Dora The Explorer and Ninja Turtles.

Screen Shot 2015-08-17 at 12.03.09 pmThe same promotion has previously been run in the UK.

To access the content the app asks for the unique code “provide with your happy meal”.

McDonald’s has responded to The Parent’s Jury’s concerns labelling them “ridiculous” and noting that its advertising promotes Happy Meals with apple slices and low fat milk.

“To say parents are likely to take their kids to McDonald’s 23 times in 8 weeks is just ridiculous,” said the McDonalds spokeswoman.

“In fact we know that parents take their children to eat at McDonald’s only 1 – 2 times a month. Like all of our Happy Meal toys, the books are also available for purchase for $2 for parents who would like to buy them independently of a Happy Meal.

“We advertise Happy Meals with apple slices and low fat milk or water in compliance with nutrition criteria set by external dieticians.”

However, The Parent’s Jury, which is supported by charities Cancer Council, Diabetes Victoria, Vic Health and the YMCA, has filed a complaint which ad regulator the Ad Standard Bureau and is seeking to get the campaign pulled.

“The thing that concerned us is that in the app there is a bookstore which shows all of the books you can get,” said Pryor.

“We would like the campaign pulled,” she said. “We think their entire campaign is flawed especially given the volume of books to collect.

“McDonald’s is a fast food restaurant franchise, whose business is selling food, not toys or books.

“Promotions which include a free toy or book with a meal entice children to request food and beverage products from McDonald’s and are not responsible marketing.”

Information for parents on the Happy Readers website:

mcdonald's happy reader parents info

Nic Christensen 

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