McDonald's deserves a big, greasy F for trying to imprint its brand on children's psyches by advertising on their report cards. But the school district officials in Seminole County, Fla., who approved such a deal deserve to run wind sprints before dawn for an entire semester.
The advertising trades have jumped on this story and a blog on the Chicago Tribune site both are detailing this deal made with a school district that allows McDonald's to advertise on the kids' report cards and give rewards of Happy Meals to kids who get good grades.
Gag me with a Big Mac.
Let's just sell out our kids' health for pocket lint, shall we? McD just picked up $1,600 for the cost of printing. As one child advocate said, if you're going to sell out your kids' health, charge more.
I love great advertising -- it's clever, witty, often fun -- and it pays the bills for endless industries including mine. But in first grade, you learn the word "appropriate." There is a time for every purpose under heaven.
Report-card day? Not the time.
Here's the blog, with pictures:
Advertising Age magazine has its own take on the idea and it gives a fair hearing of the consumer groups objections. Check it out by clicking here.
What do you think?
If Fresno Unified tried that, they would hear from my wife and me. We've been doing our best to keep our kids from getting hooked on fast foods. They don't even like hamburgers (yet). The last thing we need is the school district sabotaging our efforts. Those school officials in Florida showed extremely poor judgment in agreeing to this.
Is that school district nuts or what. Are they not hearing that children in America are fatter and unhealthier than ever thus causing lots of health problems and even death at a young age. The school districts need to teach the kids to want to be healthyb and serve them something they will eat. I watch lunch after lunch go into the trash at my daughters school because they hate the food. My daughter says it isn't edible so the kids eat the dessert and milk and the rest goes in the trash.