EVI Continues Strategic Music Partnership with McDonald’s and Warner Brothers Records.
EVI teams Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger and WBR Artists The Brother’s Conti to Bolster McDonald’s/Sony Connect Online Music Promotion.
During the summer of 2004, McDonald’s will give away 100,000,000 music downloads via its Big Mac Meal Tracks Promotion with Sony Connect. It is the largest promotion of its kind in history and the EVI music team is playing a key role. In need of a hot new song for the promotion’s commercial soundtrack, McDonald’s turned to EVI as a trusted music consultant. EVI scored the winning solution with breaking Warner Brother’s recording artists “The Brothers Conti” and their new hit “Automatic”. The commercial will air internationally over the summer months, with the smash song driving consumer participation in the promotion for McDonald’s and Sony, while simultaneously helping Warner Brothers Records launch a major new artist. The Brother’s Conti are the latest project of longtime EVI partner and 14 Grammy Award Winner David Foster.
The official launch of the McDonald’s/Sony Connect promotion was announced on June 3, 2004 with major press conferences in Los Angeles and Toronto. For the press conferences, EVI was tapped to help make the announcement a success by providing talent for the Toronto event and co-producing it with McDonald’s Canada. The Brother’s Conti performed “Automatic” live to the roaring approval of the audience at Toronto’s Eaton Centre. And, in a crucial win for McDonald’s, EVI arranged and managed the participation of rock icon Chad Kroeger of Nickleback, one of the top rock acts on the planet. Speaking as an artist, record company owner and developer of new artists, Kroeger spoke candidly about issues surrounding music downloading and applauded the legal and safe downloading vehicle being presented by McDonald’s and Sony. EVI’s recommendation and securing of Kroeger and the Brother’s Conti helped achieve unprecedented media attendance and coverage for the launch.
Executive Visions Inc. (EVI) architected & facilitated the commercial music integration deal between McDonald's & Warner Music for McDonald's / Sony Connect worldwide commercial marketing campaign. Warner Music artists', the Brothers Conti, new song "Automatic" is featured. Watch the 30 second TV Spot that launched the McDonald’s Sony Music Connect initiative.
EVI engaged the celebrity support and booked Chad Kroeger to speak on behalf of the music initiative at the press conference in Toronto at Eaton Center. Nickelback leader Chad Kroeger worked the promotion in Canada, and the Nickelback frontman and 604 Records executive has just become the Canadian spokesman for the new McDonalds Big Mac Meal Tracks promotion.
The Promotion: Receive an access code with each sandwich. Then, through a partnership with Sony and Puretracks, log on to a website that will allow you to download one song absolutely free.
THE BROTHERS CONTI serve up a savvy musical mix of pop, hip-hop and old school R&B on their sensational 143/Warner Bros. Records debut album, set for release in 2004. In the meantime, the nineteen year-old Tyler and Taylor can be heard on the soundtrack to Disney's new feature film Haunted Mansion, starring Eddie Murphy, where they perform a new rendition of Classics IV hit "Spooky." Born in Southern California, the twins relocated at an early age to Portland. Focusing their talents on singing and songwriting, the pair earned a local following in their unique inner city neighborhood with performances at parties and on street corners, perfecting their seamless vocal harmonies and songwriting. They subsequently caught the attention of multi-Grammy winning artist/producer David Foster who quickly offered them an exclusive recording deal. Relocating to Los Angeles, the brothers immediately began work on their debut album with producer Michael Carney. As they were putting the finishing touches to their first studio release, the twins were offered the chance to record their version of "Spooky" for inclusion for the Haunted Mansion soundtrack -- a tantalizing hint of what's to come from the BROTHERS CONTI upcoming debut album.
Executive Visions Inc. (EVI) - Providing commercial music integration - McDonald's Sony Music Connect - commercial music integration.
McDonald's Press Release 06/03/2004
McDonald's® Brings Music to Millions of Customers with New Sony Connect Restaurant Promotion
Big Mac® Meal Tracks to Give Away Downloads
Oak Brook, IL, (June 3, 2004) – McDonald’s marks another milestone in its leadership marketing efforts today with the announcement of a new marketing relationship with Sony Connect to launch an unprecedented multi-national restaurant promotion for customers. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal Tracks offers every customer who purchases a Big Mac Extra Value Meal® at participating McDonald’s restaurants an access code worth one free song download at the Connect™ music store, which is accessible via www.connect.com.
McDonald’s Big Mac Meal Tracks promotion launches June 8 in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. Sony Europe and McDonald’s will launch the promotion in France, Germany and the United Kingdom in early July. It is expected to roll out to additional McDonald’s countries throughout the year as plans are finalized. During the initial launch, McDonald’s anticipates providing millions of customer downloads, making this one of the largest music promotions of its kind.
“Our partnership with Sony Connect on this very exciting and relevant music event continues our commitment to surprising and delighting customers with fun and unique restaurant experiences,” said Larry Light, McDonald’s Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer. “Music continues to be at the forefront of our leadership marketing strategy. As the first to take a program like this across borders to six countries, we are achieving our goal of creating ideas that are ‘first, big, best’ in music, fashion, entertainment and sports, areas of high interest to our customers.”
McDonald’s Big Mac Meal Tracks promotion will run between six and ten weeks in the six participating countries. In the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada and the UK, customers purchasing a Big Mac Extra Value Meal® during this time period will receive a unique access code printed on the Big Mac sandwich carton. Customers will redeem their free access code for a song of their choice at the Connect music store, offered by Sony Connect Inc. in North America and by Sony Europe in Germany, France and the UK. The Connect music store is accessible via Connect.com, Connect.com/canada or Connect-Europe.com. In Germany, customers will receive a card with the access code with the purchase of a Big Mac Value Meal or Big Mac Maxi Value Meal. In compliance with French law, McDonald’s France will run a sweepstakes for Big Mac customers with music downloads as prizes.
The Big Mac Meal Tracks program is part of McDonald’s worldwide Big Mac celebration, taking place in all McDonald’s countries in June and July.
“Big Mac Meal Tracks is not only McDonald’s first multi-national music promotion, it is the first time that a music program of this scale is being offered to consumers in multiple countries around the world,” said Dean Barrett, McDonald’s Senior Vice President, Global Brand Business. “Only McDonald’s, with our unequaled restaurant presence in 119 countries, and Sony Connect, with its technical knowledge and expertise, could make this happen.”
McDonald’s will aggressively support the Big Mac Meal Tracks program. This includes a new global television commercial by Leo Burnett featuring high-tech special effects and a cameo appearance by superstar Justin Timberlake. It will air in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada beginning June 7, with other countries to follow. Radio advertising, in-store merchandising and special Big Mac packaging will further promote the program.
“We are delighted to be partnering with McDonald’s on this innovative promotion, which will introduce millions of McDonald’s consumers throughout North America and Europe to Sony’s new Connect music store, which features their favorite artists and music,” said Jay Samit, General Manager, Sony Connect Inc. “This campaign by McDonald’s will promote legal downloads, which is beneficial both to the entertainment industry and music fans around the world.”
“McDonald's and Sony are both strong consumer brands globally, and we look forward to exploring moreopportunities in other areas in the future,” added Light.
Sony Connect Inc., based in Santa Monica, California, is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. Sony Connect currently offers consumers hundreds of thousands of music tracks from major label and independent artists, as well as the ability to enjoy that content on a wide range of digital music devices that are priced to suit any lifestyle.
Connect Europe is based in Berlin and operated by Sony Network Services Europe, a division of Sony UK Ltd. The service will be launched later this month and will offer consumers hundreds of thousands of music tracks from major label and independent artists, as well as the ability to enjoy that content on a wide range of digital music devices that are priced to suit any lifestyle.
McDonald’s is the world’s leading food service retailer with more than 30,000 local McDonald’s restaurants serving 47 million customers each day in more than 100 countries. More than 70 percent of McDonald’s restaurants around the world are owned and operated by independent, local businessmen and women.
