McDonald's Entering the Children's Book Business

I've mixed feelings about fast-food giant McDonald's including a children's book in each Happy Meal at its UK franchises. The pro-literacy bibliophile part of me thinks it's a great idea that should spread to the States as well. But the anti-corporation, farmers' market-going part of me that believes it's immoral how advertisers target young children really wishes it wasn't McDonald's packaging a book along with foods that aren't healthy as it still markets its "Golden Arches" brand.

The contents of a typical McDonald's Happy Meal: burger, fries, small soft drink, and a toy.

image source: http://eatocracy.cnn.com

Still, it's a step in the right direction - any action that puts books in the hands of children can't be completely frowned upon. And a similar giveaway at McDonald's franchises in Sweden proved to be a huge success. The results will likely be the same in the UK. If they are, I wonder if that will encourage McDonald's to embark on something like that in the United States. And would it be a success?

A Telegraph article on McDonald's temporarily entering the children's book business can be read below.

The Telegraph * January 11, 2012

McDonald's: UK's Biggest Children's Book Seller

McDonald's will briefly become the country's biggest retailer of children's books, after it decided to replace the usual plastic toy in a Happy Meal with a book.

Boys eating a McDonald's Happy Meal.

Photo: ALAMY

By Harry Wollop, Retail Editor

The fast food chain will give out 9 million Mudpuddle Farm books, written by Michael Morpurgo, over the next four weeks, after it signed a tie-up with the publisher HarperCollins.

In 2011, sales of children’s books averaged 1.16 million per week – 6.4 million in a four week period – which means that McDonald’s will be handing out considerably more children’s books than are usually sold in the UK in the same period.

A finger puppet, relating to the series of books, will also be included alongside the Happy Meal.

McDonald's said a similar book giveaway in Sweden had proved very popular.

This is the latest attempt by McDonald's to improve its reputation, following the decision to sell only organic milk, print calories on its menu boards, and refurbish all of its outlets.

Its Happy Meals, which cost about £2.20, have come under fire in the past for encouraging 'pester power'. Alongside a burger or chicken nuggets, chips and a drink children are given a toy, usually tied in to the latest cinema release.

McDonald's started to include bags of fruit after accusations that the Happy Meals were unhealthy.

At the end of last year an American woman filed a lawsuit in California alleging that McDonald's was luring in her daughter through its distribution of free toys.

Literacy campaigners said it did not matter if McDonald's decision was prompted by a desire to improve its image. Eight out of ten all families with young children visit the fast-food company at least once over the course of the year, so there was a strong chance they would end up with a book.

Jonathan Douglas, director of the National Literacy Trust, said: “Our recent research showed that one in three children in this country don’t own a book, which is extremely concerning as there is a clear link between book ownership and children's future success in life. We are very supportive of McDonald’s decision to give families access to popular books, as its size and scale will be a huge leap towards encouraging more families to read together.”

The McDonald’s Happy Meal book promotion will include six titles from the Mudpuddle Farm range: Mossop’s Last Chance; Albertine, Goose Queen; Pigs Might Fly!; Jigger’s Day Off; Martians at Mudpuddle Farm; Mum’s the Word.