McDonald's has offered to pay top hip hop artists to incorporate the 'Big Mac' into their song lyrics. According to Advertising Age magazine, the fast food chain will pay rappers up to £2.80 ($5) every time a song namechecking the burger is played. McDonald's said the US deal reflected the appeal of hip hop to young people.
However, critics said the tie-up was "deceptive" given that the songs would appeal to children, for whom obesity levels have become a major concern.
A whole string of products has enjoyed huge success in the United States after rappers started dropping brand names into songs - although not for marketing purposes but bling boasting. Among the happy beneficiaries were brands like Courvoisier, Gucci, Dom Perignon, Bentley and Porsche. Artists who have 'referenced' well-known products include Jay-Z, 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg.
Advertising Age said that McDonald's would not pay an artist upfront but that they would be rewarded based on the airplay songs received in the United States. The company will have the final say over the appropriate lyrics but the singers will retain artistic control over how they are incorporated into the track. McDonalds said the initiative was in line with its 2003 global marketing campaign aimed at 18-34 year olds, which launched the slogan 'I'm loving it'.
