McDonalds Builds Ad Campaign on the Backs of School Kids with Tax Dollars

McDonalds Creates add Campaign on the backs of school kids and taxpayers, by direct mail marketing every grade school Child in Seminole County Florida, at the taxpayers expense. They have placed adds on the report cards.

The Golden Arches and a Happy Meal are even displayed. Get good grades get a free Happy Meal!

You may be asking yourself what could be wrong with this. McDonalds wants to reward good grades, good citizenship, and good attendance.

I think McDonalds wants to sell hamburgers.

It's not bad to sell hamburgers. It's not even bad to sell hamburgers to kids, and I'm completely behind McDonalds deciding through their generosity to give hamburgers to the children for free.

Yet the cynic inside of me has to think this may be a poor business choice. I have never known McDonalds to make poor business choices. Giving hamburgers away... ? How could this make sense ?

But then I think a little more. Perhaps they think that the children in Kindergarten through Fifth grade won't come to McDonalds alone clutching their report cards in their grubby little fingers. Perhaps they are not worried about Hamburgers Fries and Little toys being carted off for free.

Could it be that some number cruncher has figured out that with the cost of direct mail marketing, printing, and postage, they are already far enough ahead in the marketing game to write a few burgers and fries off?

Perhaps they imagine grade school kids being escorted in by parents who might order a double quarter pounder with cheese, a large fries, and a Coke.

When you consider the fact that the School Board picked up the tab for mailing a McDonalds commercial to every single grade school child in Seminole County Florida, then I guess it might not be such a bad idea for business after all.

This is brilliant marketing.

But I think it could also be exploitation.

If this was my school district I, as a parent, and taxpayer would feel that I had been exploited.

If McDonalds is enamored with the school children in Seminole County Florida couldn't they just donate a check for a new piece of playground equipment?

Perhaps this idea will catch on and the local liquor mart could run an add in the next report card. If your grade school child gets all A's and B's they could offer one free can of beer to every parent of every child.

Does this seem ridiculous?

As a citizen and taxpayer I don't appreciate my children and tax dollars being used this way.