McDonald's Promotion offers Sony PSP to Online Entrants

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The fast food giant works to cozy up to a tech-savvy audience.

McDonald's and Sony Computer Entertainment have teamed for an online/offline PlayStation Portable (PSP) giveaway called "Only the MAC CODE Knows." The promotion -- aimed at attracting a young, tech-savvy clientele -- centers on a fortune-teller-style Web site and will employ an online advertising campaign.

"Nothing is hotter with young adults than video gaming and the hottest thing in video gaming is PSP," said Douglas Freeland, McDonald's director of brand/entertainment strategy, in a statement.

People who buy a Big Mac sandwich or large fries get a code that they can enter online at the PlayatMcD.com Web site, developed jointly by promotional marketing agency Frankel and The Marketing Store. Once on the site, users can learn about the promotion and see prizes to be won.

Additional site features include the ability to view trailers for PSP titles, a "Game Reader" to help visitors select games, a "Big Mac telepathic email teaser" to send a message about the promotion to friends and a coupon for $5 off at Best Buy. In what is possibly an attempt to compete with rival Burger King's popular Sith Sense and Subservient Chicken campaigns, the site includes a "Magic Mind Reader" where users type in questions for eight-ball-inspired answers.

Tribal DDB developed the digital media campaign to support the promotion. The effort will feature IAB standard ad units along with PointRoll TomBoy rich media ads, according to Tribal DDB senior account director, Douglas Chavez. OMD Chicago managed the online buy, placing ads on sites like Comedy Central, MP3.com, Gamespot, and IDG properties.

The campaign to support the promotion will also run across other media channels including television and radio. Burrell Communications created TV and radio spots. Hispanic agency del Rivero Messianu DDB also did radio work. Frankel supplied in-store merchandising and packaging.

McDonald's paints the promotion as an extension of its commitment to technology, pointing out that customers can enter the contest at Wi-Fi access points at over 4,000 McDonalds locations.

The "Only the MAC CODE Knows" promotion will run from July 5 to July 25.