How About a Prius with Your Happy Meal?
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO 
on 09.11.06
On Friday, McDonald's Vice President Bob Langert responded to the controversy surrounding the inclusion of toy Hummers in Happy Meals on the company's corporate responsibility blog. Langert's position on the promotion mirrored that of many commenters here at Treehugger: "It's just a toy."
Our company, including my staff, is deeply committed to the whole scope of corporate responsibility issues, including environmental protection. So I polled my staff who have or had children. One of them said her children enjoy the little Hummer replicas as toys, just as many kids like toy trucks, regardless of make or model. She drives a MiniCooper, walks with her children to get groceries, bicycles with them on weekends, etc. Another said her grandchildren absolutely love the toy Hummers--that they're fun.While many agree with Langert's claim, we have to wonder: why would Hummer pay to promote its vehicles in children's meals if there was no marketing or PR value? It turns out we're not the only ones asking these questions, and several other green bloggers have suggested an alternative that should make everyone happy: put toy Priuses, Smart cars and Tesla Roadsters in Happy Meals.Of course, there's nothing scientific about this poll, but I think it makes an important point. Looked at through children's eyes, the miniature Hummers are just toys, not vehicle recommendations or a source of consumer messages about natural resource conservation, greenhouse gas emissions, etc.
Our own Nick Aster on his blog TriplePundit, Al Tepper at the UK's City Hippy, and Matthew from Enviroblog have joined forces to promote this idea. Each asks a simple question: if McDonald's want to be seen as a socially and environmentally responsible company, why not put toys in Happy Meals that reflect these values? There's no doubt that kids would get just as much fun out of these play vehicles, and any questions that remain about the values children may or may not pick up from these items would be settled.
It's hard to think of a downside to this solution. As Nick asks on his blog, "What would it take to make this happen?" ::Open for Discussion: The McDonald's Corporate Responsibility Blog
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I'm sure they would if the comapnies paid to put those cars in to the happy meal. A prius is not fun, it's a ugly boring car. The Tesla would be since it is a super car.
...and toy bicycles. And toy pedestrians.
The reason that Hummer would pay for putting a toy in a happy meal is the same reason that car companies advertise on cartoon network. If a kid associates McDonald's with fun, and Hummer with McDonald's. Then Hummer = fun. It's never been fully proved that this works though.
I played with MASK toys when I was a kid. Now I often open my car doors and try to fly.
The Hummer is bassed on a military vehicle. Kids like playing with toy soldiers. Get over it.
When I was little (not so long ago) I had a good number of toy cars, certian ones were my favorites, others I didn't care much for. I based my choices on looks. Just because I had a certian car didn't mean I liked it. On the other hand, some of the cars that were my favorites then, I still like today (I remember the Honda CRX was one of them). Another big thing that influenced my taste in cars were the cars my parents had and liked.
I agree a Prius probably wouldn't be very appealing, but then again, maybe it would be. I'd like to see it in a Happy Meal, I would definitely try to get my hands on one if they did put them in Happy Meals.
Mr. McVP argument that the kids like the toy hummers just doesn't hold up as those same kids love the Happy Meals...neither are good for the kids, now or in the future. By his logic it would be ok to add a pound of candy to each Happy Meals because the kids think it's great. Don't think about the long term effects on their eating or thinking habits.
I think the point is that McD are claiming green cred whilst actively not being green, and it is right that people call them on that.
No one is saying kids will grow up to buy hummers but lets face it the more hummers kids see the more they will think them acceptable...that is why McD's would never give away toy guns right?
Namaste
Al
How about a Smart car? They are way cooler (and smaller) than a Hummer: http://i22.ebayimg.com/03/i/06/3e/43/76_2.JPG
A prius is not fun, it's a ugly boring car.
Your opinion.
Hummer paid to advertise with McDonald's because their road monstrosities aren't selling as well anymore. Toyota, on the other hand, can't even keep up with the demand for the Prius so they don't need to spend money on advertising to children who can't drive or purchase cars yet.
None of you church ladies eat at McDonald's and I'm sure few of you have kids, so why are you complaining? It's just a toy. Did any of you complain when McDonald's was promoting the Cars movie in June?
Actually Hummers are selling well. Especially the H3's. And I'm sure many here played with Tonka trucks as a kid. How many now drive a dump truck around because of it?
JiltedCitizen: A prius is "an ugly boring car" ?
And the Hummer isn't? People get excited about Hybrids. I've never seen anyone get excited about a hummer!
Kato, are you honestly trying to say that no one would be interested in a hummer? Don't be silly.
It's just a toy.
Either way, when I have kids I'm gonna beat them if they even look at a mcdonalds so this is realy not important.
Good point, but the original hummer is so ugly it's cool. People get excited about a hybrid? Even if it looks like a Pontiac Aztek? Ya I'd say more people could get excited over a Hummer...the vehicle. I do like hybrids, I just don't think they are worth the money yet.
Just teach them to fear clowns. Make them watch IT at an early age.
Guys, the whole point of this is that McDonalds is claiming to "care" about the environment. Giving away toys as symbolic as Hummers flys in the face of that claim. Yes, they are "just toys", but they are toys that are reeking with negative symbolism that, as a marketer, I wouldn't touch with a ten foot poll.
And, like candy cigarettes, unsavory childhood novelties can never be proven to lead to bad choices later in life, but it's hard to say they dont help!
My Hummer runs on biodiesel.
You've got 12 years of public school to indoctrinate our kids. Let 'em play with a plastic car and enjoy their childhood. It's not like it's a Marlboro.
I just don't think they are worth the money yet.
Your opinion about whether they are "worth the money" has nothing to do with whether, factually, they are (or not).
"Our company, including my staff, is deeply committed to the whole scope of corporate responsibility issues, including environmental protection."
that's one of the funniest things i've read this week.
The people who run this website and others who make comments like the ones against mcdonalds are the reason that enviromentalism isn't mainstream. When you take such a riduclous stand about something as stupid as a freakin kids toy then nobody is going to take you seriously when you speak about a REAL problem. "Pay no attention to him/her, just another whale-kissing tree-hugging nutjob".
NFB, good point.
There are plenty of things the have a go at McD's for other than a toy car.
It's a kids toy. Nothing more. When I was a kid one of the biggest toy givaways in Happy Meals were monster trucks. Now, I do not drive a monster truck to work.
Of course you don't drive a monster truck to work. I don't drive a fire truck, an excavator, or a spaceship, because growing up I knew that these were specialty vehicles not designed for or sold to consumers. The Hummer, despite being designed for combat, is a vehicle that is available to consumers.
When I was a kid on one of the rare times my mum let us got to mcd's (she didn't like supporting the IRA) I got a pink toy car. I don't drive a pink car now.
"When I was a kid on one of the rare times my mum let us got to mcd's (she didn't like supporting the IRA) I got a pink toy car. I don't drive a pink car now."
That's incredible. Are you claiming that we don't all, 100% of the time, go out and buy the toys we play with as children?
I guess that means that advertising has no effect on children whatsoever! Good example, too, by using McDonald's -- they certainly know that marketing to kids is a waste of money.
Thanks for clearing all that up for us.
Wait a sec - are you claiming that McDonald's funds or funded the IRA? Huh?
Apparently, there was a rumor to that effect floating around in the late 80s...