McD System Aglow on 18-month Plan

McDonald's franchisees have given a big fat thumbs up on an 18month marketing plan that calls for a slew of Disney tie-ins including next summer's animated Tarzan release, the liveaction feature-length movie based on the animated TV series Inspector Gadget, the holiday season release of Toy Story 2 and the likelihood of another iteration of the popular McDonald's Monopoly game.

Last week the franchisee community gave the go-ahead on the calendar presented during the annual Operators National Advertising Fund (OPNAD) meeting at McDonald's head quarters in Oak Brook, Ill.

Even without a top marketer at the helm, McDonald's Corp. has been able to pull off a marketing calendar that franchisees seem to have embraced enthusiastically. Although sources indicated that McDonald's had planned to introduce a new marketing chief by the time the OPNAD meeting rolled around, the company's search continues. McDonald's would not confirm whether the job had been offered and turned down by any candidates, though the hunt has been ongoing since Brad Ball left the slot in April. Still, it may prove daunting to some candidates to enter a strategic post with an 18-month marketing calendar already set.

"Having no marketing chief has not affected our ability to put together a very good plan," said one franchisee who is an area representative for OPNAD. "We are well out ahead of the curve which is unique given our recent history."

The tie-ins appear to be standard operating procedure for the partnership with the standard fare of incorporating Happy Meals, national advertising and packaging into the tie-in. Toy Story 2 is the follow-up to huge Disney/Pixar success that in the first go-around had been paired with Burger King. The sequel will return actors Tom Hanks and Tim Allen to voice the computer animated picture.

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