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McDonald's to give away billion iTunes songs

Apple announced a month ago a deal with Pepsi to hand out 100 million iTunes songs for Pepsi's promotional campaign. Now the fast-food giant McDonald's has made a similar deal, but bigger; according to New York Post, McDonald's will give away one billion iTunes songs in its recently-launched global "I'm loving it" advertising campaign.

According to sources, both Pepsi and McDonald's are paying full retail price of $0.99 to Apple for the songs, so theoretically Apple has managed to boost iTunes' revenues by $1.1bn with these two deals. Obviously the reality will be slightly lower as many of the promotion winners wont be using their coupons at all.



So far it is still unclear how McDonald's will spend the purchased free downloads and company refuses to comment the deal at all. Pepsi's campaign will include 300 million specially marked Pepsi, Diet Pepsi and Sierra Mist bottles -- every third of the bottles will include a single song coupon to iTunes.

Source: NY Post

Written by: Petteri Pyyny @ 7 Nov 2003 15:52

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• 4 comments

• A_Klingon

  Would you like some McFries with your iTunes, Sir?
  
  General Rules:
  
  * Free promotional iTunes expire after 30 days or 30 playbacks, whichever comes first.
  * Free promotional iTunes not transferrable to any other computer, or standalone portable playback device.
  * Free promotional iTunes not separately burnable on CD media.
  * Free promotional iTunes contain short ad-based message, "You deserve a break today" and "Pepsi-It's the real thing" after each song playback.
  * Winners must download song prizes within 25 days of submitting winning stubs.
  * All tunes must be selected from special 'Winners' section of website. Full subscriber-based iTunes library not available to winners of this promotion.
  * Taxes not included. Applicable state/provincial sales taxes will be payable and charged to winners' credit account. Major bank card required.
  * Minimum $10 McDonald's purchase necessary.
  * Winners must agree to having their privacy invaded and photograps taken for promotional purposes.
  
  [While driving away from the drive-through window....} "Hey! This is the third time in a row those stoopid $%##s got my order wrong!!! And WHERE'S my salt and ketchup?? I TOLD THEM I wanted salt and ketchup! Ahhhrrgghhhhhh !!!!!!!!!!
  
  -- A Public Service Message brought to you from A_Klingon --
  

  8.11.2003 01:07 #1

• dRD

  Mike, you forgot one:
  
  Coupon's cash value is $0.000000000000001
  

  Petteri Pyyny
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  8.11.2003 02:14 #2

• A_Klingon

  (small rant ...)
  
  You know, it's funny (sad) really. Last week I drove through the take out section, and I haven't been to McD's in almost a year. I ordered enough food for (about) 2-1/2 people. (I munched on some fries on the way home).
  
  It cost $16.70. It used to cost something like $6 - $8 for this size order.
  
  And yes, they got the order wrong. (again). The 'fish filet' was missing. Not worth driving back and waiting in line again.
  
  As a taxi-driver of some four years, I can't remember how often I've driven passengers through McD's only to have them discover that their order was all buggered up, or how often I've turned the taxi-meter Off, so that we could go back and get their order fixed up without costing the passenger an arm and a leg.
  
  I know their staff are on their feet all day and completely underpaid - the problem lies much higher in the McD hierarchy. And no one _there_ cares much.
  
  You joke about coupons. Well, it says on a sign (before you go to the order window) to tell the person taking your order, that you _have_ a coupon. That way, they can deduct the coupon's value from the order. Well, I had a coupon. I told them. They charged me the full amount anyway. How did they make up for this gaffe?
  
  Too embarrased to tell me about it at the checkout window, they slipped a new (similar) 'free' coupon in with my order (which as I say, they still got wrong anyway). Makes you wonder.......
  
  I think McD's needs to look at a little more than giving away free iTunes.
  
  (Thanx for the rant).
  

  8.11.2003 02:58 #3

• Dela

  Quote: According to sources, both Pepsi and McDonald's are paying full retail price of $0.99 to Apple for the songs, so theoretically Apple has managed to boost iTunes' revenues by $1.1bn with these two deals. Obviously the reality will be slightly lower as many of the promotion winners wont be using their coupons at all.WOW!!! i know it wont be $1.1bn exactly but seriously that is cool!! Wont that like break tonnes of world records on music sales?
  

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  8.11.2003 16:27 #4