View source for McDonald's advertising

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{{more citations needed|date=July 2012}}
[[McDonald's]] maintains an extensive advertising campaign. In addition to the usual media such as television, radio and newspaper ads, the company makes significant use of billboards and signage, and sponsors sporting events ranging from [[Little League Baseball|Little League]] to the [[FIFA World Cup]] and [[Olympic Games]]. The company also makes coolers of orange drink with their logo available for local events of all kinds.<ref>{{cite web|title=McDonald's orange drink|url=http://www.genxtinct.com/2011/09/mcdonalds-orange-drink.html|publisher=Gen X-Tinct|access-date=2 July 2012|author=Gael Fashingbauer Cooper|date=September 9, 2011}}</ref> However, television ads remain the primary form of advertisement.

McDonald's has used many different slogans to advertise in the United States, including "You deserve a break today", "Nobody can do it like McDonald's can", and from 2003 to the present day, "I'm lovin it". <ref>{{Cite web |last=Lowbrow |first=Yeoman |date=2015-01-25 |title=You Deserve a Break Today: 1960s-1980s McDonald’s History in Advertising |url=https://flashbak.com/you-deserve-a-break-today-1960s-1980s-mcdonalds-history-in-advertising-29820/ |access-date=2025-11-12 |website=Flashbak |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ronk |first=Liz |last2=Rothman |first2=Lily |date=April 14, 2015 |title=See Early Ads and Photographs From the McDonald’s Archives |url=https://time.com/3817181/mcdonalds-history-gallery/ |access-date=November 11, 2025 |website=Time}}</ref><ref name="mediaroom">{{cite web | title=McDonald's® USA Launches 'i'm lovin' it™' Brand Campaign - Sep 23, 2003 | url=https://mcdonalds.mediaroom.com/2003-09-23-McDonalds-USA-Launches-im-lovin-it-Brand-Campaign }}</ref> At times, it has run into trouble with its campaigns.

==History==
There have been many McDonald's [[advertising]] campaigns and [[slogan]]s over the years. The company is one of the most prevalent [[Fast food advertising|fast food advertisers]], especially in the United States, where it spends the most advertising money of any fast-food restaurant and {{asof|2012|lc=y}} the fifth-more of any advertiser in the country.<ref>[http://adage.com/article/news/meet-america-s-25-biggest-advertisers/242969/?qwr=FullSite Meet America's 10 biggest advertisers]. ''AdAge''. Retrieved July 8, 2013.</ref> McDonald's Canada's corporate website states that the commercial campaigns have always focused on the "overall McDonald's experience", rather than just product.<ref name="Marketing - McDonalds.ca">{{cite web|url=http://www.mcdonalds.ca/en/aboutus/marketing_themes.aspx|title=Marketing|publisher=McDonald's Canada|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051222220059/http://www.mcdonalds.ca/en/aboutus/marketing_themes.aspx|archive-date=December 22, 2005}}</ref> The purpose of the image has always been "portraying warmth and a real slice of everyday life".<ref name="Marketing - McDonalds.ca"/> Its TV ads, showing various people engaging in popular activities, usually reflect the season and time period. Finally, rarely in their advertising history have they used negative or comparison ads pertaining to any of their competitors; the ads have always focused on McDonald's alone, one exception being a 2008 billboard advertising the new [[McCafé]] espresso. The billboard read "four bucks is dumb", a shot at competitor [[Starbucks]].<ref>[http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/Starbucks-won-t-slug-it-out-in-ad-wars-1294360.php "Starbucks won't slug it out in ad wars"], by Andrea James, ''[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]'', December 10, 2008 {{retrieved|access-date=April 14, 2017}}</ref>

===Controversies===
{{See also|McDonald's legal cases}}
In 1996, the British adult comic magazine ''[[Viz (comics)|Viz]]'' accused McDonald's of plagiarizing the name and format of its longstanding Top Tips feature, in which readers offer sarcastic tips. McDonald's had created an advertising campaign of the same name, which suggested the Top Tips (and then the alternative—save money by going to McDonald's). Some of the similarities were almost word-for-word<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/viz-challenges-mcdonald-s-over-tv-money-tips-1362901.html|title='Viz' challenges McDonald's over TV money tips |website=[[Independent.co.uk]] }}</ref>

<blockquote>Save a fortune on laundry bills. Give your dirty shirts to [[Oxfam]]. They will wash and iron them, and then you can buy them back for 50p.
:—''Viz'' Top Tip, published May 1989.
Save a fortune on laundry bills. Give your dirty shirts to a second-hand shop. They will wash and iron them, and then you can buy them back for 50p.
:—McDonald's advert, 1996.</blockquote>

The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum, which was donated to the [[BBC]]'s charity [[Comic Relief]]. However, many ''Viz'' readers believed that the comic had given permission for their use, leading to Top Tips submissions such as: "[[Geordie]] magazine editors. Continue paying your mortgage and buying expensive train sets ... by simply licensing the Top Tips concept to a multinational burger corporation."

In 2003, a ruling by the UK [[Advertising Standards Authority (United Kingdom)|Advertising Standards Authority]] determined that the corporation had acted in breach of the codes of practice in describing how its French fries were prepared. A McDonald's print ad stated that "after selecting certain potatoes" "we peel them, slice them, fry them and that's it." It showed a picture of a potato in a McDonald's fries box. In fact the product was sliced, pre-fried, sometimes had [[dextrose]] added, was then frozen, shipped, and re-fried and then had salt added.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/focus/case_studies/McDonalds.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061018100756/http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/focus/case_studies/McDonalds.htm|title=End of story for one fast food ad|archive-date=October 18, 2006|publisher=[[Advertising Standards Authority (United Kingdom)]]}}</ref>

In 2013, McDonald's encountered controversy around negative racial stereotypes when the fast-food restaurant tested one of its ads in Germany for the resident Mexican population. The title of the commercial was ''Los Wochos'', a made-up word for the Spanish translation of the word 'week' ({{lang|de|Woche}}) in German. The commercial went on to say, "When you turn ketchup into 'salsa picante', your buddy into a 'muchacho' and your burger into 'chili con carne', that means The Wochos are here. Olé." The problem was that not all of these terms are of Mexican origin; rather, "[[olé]]" is a typical expression of southern Spain, while the ''[[Latin Times]]'' claimed that [[chili con carne]] is a Texan dish.<ref>Mallen, Patricia Rey. "McDonald's Racist Ad: 'Los Wochos' Offends Mexican Community in Germany", ''[[Latin Times]]'', 2 May 2013. 19 February 2017.</ref>

In December 29, 2016, McDonald's Malaysian issue a statement that said only certified halal cakes are allowed inside its restaurants nationwide. <ref>{{cite web | title=Cakes Without the Halal Logo Will Not be Allowed in MCD's | date=December 30, 2016 | url=https://says.com/my/news/only-halal-cakes-allowed-in-mcdonald-s-malaysia-restaurants }}</ref>

In 2015, McDonald's met further controversy around Mexican stereotypes when it attempted to promote its McBurrito in Mexico. The advertisement was a picture of the burrito with the words, "[[Tamale]]s are a thing of the past. McBurrito Mexicana also comes wrapped." The ad was revealed just a day after la [[Dia de la candelaria|Día de la Candelaria]] ([[Candlemas]], 2 February), a holiday many celebrate with eating tamales, a traditional Mexican dish eaten during most holidays. The Tex-Mex burrito was perceived by many as an insult to one of Mexico's most traditional and popular meals.<ref>Woolf, Nicky. [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/04/mcdonalds-mexico-facebook-ad-tamales "McDonald's eats its words after tamales Facebook ad sparks backlash in Mexico"], ''[[The Guardian]]'', 4 February 2015. {{retrieved|access-date=December 10, 2024}}</ref>

In 2019, McDonald's pulled out of an advertisement deal with an American comedy podcast, ''[[Your Mom's House]]'' podcast. The reason cited for ending the deal was due to a portion of the podcast being dedicated to clips honoring, "Cool Guys". The primary clip that provoked McDonald's, now known as the "Uncle Terry" clip, showing a nude man reviewing and using various sex toys to completion. Following the initial controversy, McDonald's garnered outrage from various [[LGBTQIA+]] groups for not being inclusive enough to sexually explorative demographics. This outrage resulted in McDonald's returning the advertisement deal to ''Your Mom's House'' podcast after only a few weeks.<ref>{{YouTube|Wal1akWPEyE|''Your Mom's House'' podcast, Ep. 505 w/ Theo Von, June 26, 2019}}{{time needed|date=December 2024}}{{better source needed|date=December 2024}}</ref>

Also in 2019, McDonald's Portugal promoted a sundae for [[Halloween]] with advertising that dubbed it "Sundae Bloody Sundae".<ref>{{cite news |last=Jones |first=Sam |date=October 31, 2019 |title=McDonald's Portugal apologises for 'Sundae Bloody Sundae' ads |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/oct/31/mcdonalds-portugal-apologises-for-sundae-bloody-sundae-ads |access-date=July 13, 2020}}</ref> This generated controversy on social networks in the British-Irish territories due to the name's connotation with the [[Bloody Sunday (1972)|Bloody Sunday massacre in 1972]]. McDonald's issued an apology for "any offense or distress" and withdrew its promotions.<ref>{{cite news |date=October 31, 2019 |title=McDonald's apologises for 'Sunday Bloody Sundae' campaign |work=[[Sky News]] |url=https://news.sky.com/story/mcdonalds-apologises-for-sunday-bloody-sundae-campaign-11850245 |access-date=June 23, 2020}}</ref> "Bloody Sunday" is a name that commemorates the day in 1972 on which 26 unarmed protesters in [[Derry, Northern Ireland]], were shot by British soldiers during "[[the Troubles]]", a domestic conflict in [[Northern Ireland]] during the late 20th century.<ref name="sullivan">{{cite web|last=Sullivan |first=Rory |date=November 1, 2019 |title=McDonald's apologizes for 'Sundae Bloody Sundae' ad|website=[[CNN]] |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/31/europe/mcdonalds-sundae-bloody-sundae-advert-scli-intl/index.html |access-date=July 13, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Melaugh |first1=Martin |last2=Lynn |first2=Brendan |title=Glossary of Terms on Northern Ireland Conflict |url=https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/othelem/glossary.htm#T |work=[[Conflict Archive on the Internet]] (CAIN)|publisher=[[Ulster University]] |quote=The term 'the Troubles' is a euphemism used by people in Ireland for the present conflict. The term has been used before to describe other periods of Irish history. On the CAIN web site the terms 'Northern Ireland conflict' and 'the Troubles', are used interchangeably.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=McEvoy |first=Joanne |title=The politics of Northern Ireland |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-7486-2501-7 |location=Edinburgh |page=1 |oclc=232570935 |quote=The Northern Ireland conflict, known locally as 'the Troubles', endured for three decades and claimed the lives of more than 3,500 people.}}</ref> This resulted in 14 deaths. McDonald's said it was intended as a local promotion of Halloween and not intended to insult anyone.<ref name="sullivan" />

=== Racial diversity ===
In the 1970s, McDonald's began to diversify their target audience towards the back end of the [[civil rights movement]] at the time. To modern audiences, the advertising style in this given campaign appears stereotypical and is a clear example of [[tokenism]]. However, at the time it was seen as a huge step forward in terms of overcoming racial issues.{{Synthesis inline|date=December 2024}}

In order to appeal to African-American people, McDonald's exclusively used images of African-American people enjoying a McDonald's meal in their ads. They also adopted linguistic features which were "typical" in that particular culture, such as "[[g-dropping]]" for example "Makin' it" or "Dinnertimin'".<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/06/casual-racism-and-greater-diversity-in-70s-advertising/394958/|title='Dinnertimin' and 'No Tipping': How Advertisers Targeted Black Consumers in the 1970s|last=Cruz|first=Lenika|newspaper=[[The Atlantic]]|access-date=2017-02-06}}</ref> Additionally, McDonald's also introduced the "Get Down" campaign which was a popular dance move, [[get down]], in the African American culture at the time.

As McDonald's was mainly a "white-dominated" agency at the time, it seemed that even though they were attempted to make good with these ad campaigns, they only really achieved appearing "racially naive" and also heavily relied on fraught stereotypes rather than actual information ([[Charlton McIlwain]] 2015).{{incomplete short citation|date=December 2024}} <ref name=":0" /> Another notion, coined by [[Tom Burrell]] (2003:240){{incomplete short citation|date=December 2024}},<ref>MacDonough, J., Egolf, K., & Reid, J. (2003). ''The Advertising Age Encyclopedia of Advertising'' (1st ed.). New York, [etc.]: [[Fitzroy Dearborn]].{{page needed|date=December 2024}}</ref> was "positive realism" which "depicted African-Americans using consumer products in a manner that was authentic and relevant". This term is thought to have influenced and encouraged the depiction of African-Americans in advertising.

==Current campaign==
{{Redirect|I'm Lovin' It|the Justin Timberlake song|I'm Lovin' It (song)}}
{{Image frame|content=<score sound>
\relative c' { \autoBeamOff c16 d8 e a16 g8 r8 e8 d16 c c8 }
\addlyrics { Ba da ba ba ba, I'm lov -- ing it. }
\midi { \tempo 4=72 }
</score>}}
'''''I'm lovin' it''''' is a [[brand]]ing campaign by McDonald's Corporation which has been in use since 2003. It was created by Heye & Partner, a McDonald's agency based in [[Unterhaching]], Germany and a member of the [[DDB Worldwide]] Communications Group. ''I'm lovin' it'' was the company's first global [[advertising campaign]] and was unveiled in Chicago on June 12, 2003,<ref>{{cite web | title=THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING; McDonald's Campaign Embraces a Loving Theme (Published 2003) | website=[[The New York Times]] | date=June 12, 2003 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/12/business/the-media-business-advertising-mcdonald-s-campaign-embraces-a-loving-theme.html }}</ref> being a major 'image' change for the company and created in response to McDonald's Corporation's first ever financial loss in 2002.<ref>{{cite web | title=McDonald's Sets Out to Conquer the World by Changing its Image | url=https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/mcdonalds-sets-out-to-conquer-the-world-by-changing-its-image/ }}</ref> The campaign first launched in Munich on September 2, 2003, under the German title {{lang|de|ich liebe es}}<ref>{{cite web | title=McDonald's Campaign Stars Pop Singer Timberlake | website=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=September 3, 2003 | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-sep-03-fi-mcdonalds3-story.html }}</ref> and the [[anglophone]] part of the campaign was launched soon after, including in the United States on September 29, 2003,<ref name="mediaroom"/> with the music of Tom Batoy and Franco Tortora (Mona Davis Music) and vocals by [[Justin Timberlake]], in which the slogan appears. 

{{multiple image
| width1 = 140
 | image1 = McDonald's c'esttoutcequej'aime-Logo.svg
 | class1 = bg-transparent
| width2 = 100
 | image2 = McDonald's c'estçaquej'm-Logo.svg
 | class2 = bg-transparent
 | footer = Two variants of the "I'm lovin' it" slogan in French: as used in [[France]] (left, translates into ''That's all I Like'') and in [[Francophone Canada]] (right, translates into ''It's that which I love'')
}}
The slogan has been translated into at least 11 different languages other than English - including German, Spanish, French, Chinese, Arabic, Russian, Portuguese, Turkish, Swedish and Tagalog - some with variants depending on region.<ref>{{cite web | title=The Contentious Tale of the McDonald's "I'm Lovin' It" Jingle | website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] | date=July 14, 2016 | url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1227-the-contentious-tale-of-the-mcdonalds-im-lovin-it-jingle/ }}</ref> Each regional McDonald's operation can decide which language is most effective for its campaign; for example, in Austria, the English language slogan is used instead of the German one.<ref>{{cite web | title=McDonald's Campaign Stars Pop Singer Timberlake | website=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=September 3, 2003 | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-sep-03-fi-mcdonalds3-story.html }}</ref> In Sweden there is even a variation within the country: while most places use the English slogan "I'm lovin' it", a Swedish language slogan, ''Ja’ tyck’ om ä’'', is used in [[Norrland|northern Sweden]].<ref>{{cite web | title=McDonalds gör ""I´m lovin´it"" på norrländska | url=https://www.resume.se/alla-nyheter/nyheter/mcdonalds-gor-im-lovinit-pa-norrlandska/?_x_tr_hist=true }}</ref>

The motion logo at the time (featuring the "M" zooming out to a 5-note jingle based on the song's "ba da ba ba ba" lyric) and the "I'm lovin' it" (in different languages, usually in English) zooming to the "M", leaving a trail) was produced by using [[Adobe After Effects]] and [[Adobe InDesign]]. McDonald's also selected more than 30 people to appear in new packaging for McDonald's products, starting with a photoshoot taking place from September 3, 2003, until November 2003. They unveiled new "I'm lovin' it"–themed packaging on December 8, 2003, and rolled it out worldwide throughout 2004 with the final delivery date being November 20, 2004. In January 2007, after a public [[casting (performing arts)|casting call]] which received 15,000 submissions, McDonald's selected 24 people to appear as part of the campaign.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mcdonalds.com/corp/news/corppr/2006/cpr_04032006.html|title=McDonald's press release|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071101075359/http://www.mcdonalds.com/corp/news/corppr/2006/cpr_04032006.html|archive-date=2007-11-01}}</ref> Images of those chosen, taken from September to December 2006, who had submitted a story and digital photograph which "captured ... themes of inspiration, passion and fun" appeared on McDonald's paper bags and cups worldwide.

In early 2008, McDonald's underwent the first phase of their new image and slogan: "What we're made of." This was to promote how McDonald's products are made. Packaging was tweaked a little to feature this new slogan. In November 2008, McDonald's introduced new packaging, eliminating the previous design stated above (except for the Philippines and a few countries where the previous design is used in tandem with newer packaging, and in Fiji where the previous design is still current) with new, inspirational messages, the "I'm lovin it" slogan (appearing only once on most packages). McDonald's also updated their menu boards with darker, yet warmer colors, more realistic photos of the products featured on plates and the drinks in glasses. From 2009 to 2010, McDonald's introduced new packaging worldwide. As of 2017, McDonald's continues to have the "I'm lovin it" slogan appear on most all of its product packaging, and has made no major announcement that the company will use any other slogan exclusively in place of this one any time in the near future. The 5-note jingle from 2003 continues to be used in most McDonald's advertising to this day in the form of a whistled version.

In April 2024, the company debuted plain yellow and red billboards in the Netherlands, the world's first that smell like McDonald's.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2024-04-12|title='Smells like McDonald's': Fast-food chain debuts 'world's first' scented billboard|url=https://www.nbcbayarea.com/entertainment/the-scene/mcdonalds-debuts-worlds-first-billboards-that-smell-like-mcdonalds-fries/3508341/|access-date=2024-12-10|website=[[NBC Bay Area]]}}</ref>

==Promotional partners==

===Cross promotions===
{{More citations needed section|date=December 2024}}
* [[Australian Football League]] ([[Seven Network|Channel 7]] and [[Fox Footy]])
*Auto racing
**Starting in 2010, McDonald's sponsored [[NASCAR]] driver [[Jamie McMurray]]'s [[Chip Ganassi Racing]] No. 1 [[Chevrolet]] as a part-time/secondary sponsor, and later becoming the primary sponsor for the No. 1 car in 2013.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/sports/daytona-500-champ-gets-mcdonalds-sponsorship|title=Daytona 500 champ gets McDonald's sponsorship|publisher=[[Fox News]]|date=February 25, 2010|access-date=December 16, 2020}}</ref> Over time, McDonald's has sponsored numerous NASCAR cars, including [[Bill Elliott]], [[Jimmy Spencer]], [[Andy Houston]], [[Kasey Kahne]], [[Matt Kenseth]] and [[Bubba Wallace]]. In addition to McMurray in 2018, the company sponsored his teammate [[Kyle Larson]]'s No. 42 team in select races and moved fully over to Larson in 2019 following McMurray's retirement.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2019/02/19/mcdonalds-kyle-larson-sponsorship-paint-scheme/|title=McDonald's set to race with Kyle Larson, No. 42 team in 2019|work=[[Chip Ganassi Racing]]|publisher=[[NASCAR]]|date=January 18, 2019|access-date=December 16, 2020}}</ref>
**Sponsored NASCAR drivers
***[[Kurt Busch]]
***[[Ross Chastain]]
***[[Bill Elliott]]
***[[Bobby Hamilton Jr.]]
***[[Andy Houston]]
***[[Kasey Kahne]]
***[[Matt Kenseth]]
***[[Kyle Larson]]
***[[Jamie McMurray]]
***[[Tyler Reddick]]
***[[Elliott Sadler]]
***[[Jimmy Spencer]]
***[[Hut Stricklin]]
***[[Bubba Wallace]]
**McDonald's is a founding partner of [[23XI Racing]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Estrada|first=Chris|url=https://nascar.nbcsports.com/2020/12/14/23xi-racing-major-sponsors-bubba-wallace-2021-nascar-cup-series/|title=23XI Racing reveals 'founding partners' for 2021 season|publisher=[[NBC Sports]]|date=December 14, 2020|access-date=December 16, 2020}}</ref>
**The company has also sponsored the No. 02 car of [[Graham Rahal]] in the [[IndyCar Series]] and the No. 77 Ford Dallara of Doran Enterprises in the [[Rolex Sports Car Series]].
* [[FIFA World Cup]]
**McDonald's has been an official sponsor of the World Cup since the [[1994 FIFA World Cup]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20141024212405/http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/worldcup/southafrica2010/news/newsid=104427/index.html "McDonald's renews as FIFA World Cup Sponsor until 2014"]. FIFA.com. Retrieved October 24, 2014</ref>
* [[National Football League]]
** In late 2012, McDonald's signed a multi-year deal to become the official restaurant sponsor of the NFL. It was the presenting sponsor of the [[2013 Pro Bowl]], and was able to use the NFL shield and logos of all 32 teams in its campaigns.<ref>{{cite web|title=McDonald's named official sponsor of the NFL|url=http://www.qsrweb.com/article/204567/McDonald-s-named-official-sponsor-of-the-NFL|access-date=30 December 2012|author=QSRweb.com|date=November 30, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130131225820/http://www.qsrweb.com/article/204567/McDonald-s-named-official-sponsor-of-the-NFL|archive-date=31 January 2013}}</ref>
* [[National Rugby League]] ([[Nine Network|Channel 9]] and [[Fox League]])
*[[National Basketball Association|NBA]] (fast food partner)
*[[Olympic Games]] (official fast-food restaurant)
** Sponsored the Olympics from [[1976 Summer Olympics|1976]] to [[2016 Summer Olympics|2016]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/02/09/olympic-athletes-love-mcdonalds-but-its-role-in-pyeongchang-will-be-the-smallest-in-decades/|title=Olympic athletes love McDonald's. But its role in PyeongChang will be the smallest in decades.|last=Dewey|first=Caitlin|date=February 9, 2018|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180604183523/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/02/09/olympic-athletes-love-mcdonalds-but-its-role-in-pyeongchang-will-be-the-smallest-in-decades/|archive-date=June 4, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/06/16/mcdonalds-ends-four-decade-olympics-sponsorship/|title=McDonald's ends four-decade Olympics sponsorship|date=June 16, 2017|last=Payne|first=Marissa|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113171827/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/06/16/mcdonalds-ends-four-decade-olympics-sponsorship/|archive-date=January 13, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>
*McDonald's sponsored ''[[Sesame Street]]'' on [[PBS Kids]] during seasons 34–40.
*LitterLotto – In October 2021, McDonald's announced a partnership with LitterLotto,<ref>{{Cite web|title=McDonald's on a Mission to Bin UK Litterers for Good|url=https://www.mcdonalds.com/gb/en-gb/newsroom/article/bin_uk_litterers.html|access-date=2021-12-16|website=www.mcdonalds.com}}</ref> a prize draw app that encourages people to dispose of their [[litter]] responsibly, in exchange for cash prizes.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Evans|first=Rebekah|date=2021-10-12|title=McDonald's unveils new hack to earn money – Britons may secure up to £10,000|url=https://www.express.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/1504825/mcdonalds-prize-draw-how-to-get-rich-litterlotto-environment-UK-2021|access-date=2021-12-16|newspaper=[[Daily Express]]|location=London}}</ref> As part of the launch of this campaign, they ran an [[influencer marketing]] campaign with [[Pete Wicks]] and [[Vicky Pattison]].<ref>{{YouTube|yLBnOj5ir1Y|McDonald's UK {{!}} No Packaging Drive-Thru {{!}} Bin Your Litter}}{{better source needed|date=December 2024}}</ref>

===Celebrity spokespeople===
{{More citations needed section|date=December 2024}}
* [[Ogie Alcasid]]
* [[Paolo Ballesteros]]
* [[J Balvin]] (2020)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Saxena |first=Jaya |date=2020-10-06 |title=McDonald's Partners With J Balvin Following the Huge Success of the Travis Scott Meal |url=https://www.eater.com/21503999/mcdonalds-follows-up-travis-scott-burger-with-j-balvin-meal |access-date=2020-11-12 |website=[[Eater (website)|Eater]]}}</ref>
* [[BTS]] (2021)
* [[Mariah Carey]] (2021)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nelson|first=Dustin|date=2021-11-11|title=McDonald's New Mariah Carey Menu Features 12 Days of Free Food|url=https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/mcdonalds-mariah-carey-free-food-menu-2021 |access-date=2024-12-10|website=[[Thrillist]]}}</ref>
* [[Dolphy]] as [[Darna]] (1980s)
* [[Mark Anthony Fernandez]]
* [[Vice Ganda]]
* [[Maine Mendoza]]
* [[Manny Pacquiao]]
* [[Karen delos Reyes]] (2000s)
* [[Alden Richards]]
* [[SB19]]
* [[Travis Scott]] (2020)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ju |first=Shirley |date=2020-09-09 |title=Travis Scott McDonald's Deal Marks First Celebrity Meal Since Michael Jordan in 1992 |url=https://variety.com/2020/music/news/travis-scott-mcdonalds-meal-michael-jordan-1234763132/ |access-date=2020-11-12 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[Maricel Soriano]]
* [[Michael V.]]
* [[Venus Williams]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.venuswilliams.com/news/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=174250&itype=&iCategoryID=0|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061020000458/http://www.venuswilliams.com/news/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=174250&itype=&iCategoryID=0|url-status=dead|title=News &#124; Venus Williams|first=James Alexander|last=III|archivedate=October 20, 2006|website=www.venuswilliams.com}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Burger King advertising]]
*[[Fast food advertising]]
*[[Larry Light]] (1941–2024), chief marketing officer for McDonald's, instrumental in deploying "I'm lovin' it"
*[[List of McDonald's marketing campaigns]]
*[[McDonaldland]]
*[[Ronald McDonald House Charities]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{McDonald's|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:McDonald's advertising| ]]