The Big Mac Chant

Add comment July 17th, 2008

They say in fashion that everything comes back in style sooner or later, if you just hang on to it long enough, but does it work with ads as well?  McDonalds seems to think so, well, actually retro with a new twist.  They are stepping back to 1974 to revive the lyrics of the well-known Big Mac jingle, “two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese…” you probably know the rest.  What you won’t know is the new beat, since no one knows it yet, because the company will choose from competitors on MySpace through its page called the ‘Big Mac Chant’ (http://www.myspace.com/bigmacchant). 

User-generated appeal campaigns are popping up everywhere thanks to YouTube, and for this one McDonald’s is not even offering money as a prize. Apparently, merely the “fame” appeal of having your jingle become the track for a TV commercial is payment enough.  Yet another way to take advantage of the viral nature of the web and free press- sounds like a pretty good idea for any company. 

“For companies, reviving a campaign through user-generated submissions can appeal to older consumers’ nostalgia while introducing a classic campaign to a younger set,” says Stephanie Clifford of the New York Times.  If it works, it could be argued that McDonald’s successfully bridged the gap between generations.  But isn’t part of the fun of revival lyrics to be able to sing along because you know them? Unless you are a rapper, you may be out of luck on this one.  McDonald’s has to wade through the bad and the good in submissions, but finding a gold nugget could prove worth it.  The outcome for the campaign is yet to be seen, but the public in general is more aware of, and willing to participate in user-generated appeals, and any size company can take advantage of the favorable environment for this type of campaign.