New Zealand Police End McDonald's School Marketing Program [1]
Submitted by Bob Burton [2] on
New Zealand Police have terminated McDonald's [3] sponsorship of a road safety program [4] in schools and pre-schools because it was inconsistent with their policy banning corporate sponsorship. As part of the $NZ40,000 ($US26,700) a year deal, "Ronald McDonald" accompanied police on their school visits and children were awarded vouchers for use in the fast food company's outlets. McDonald's said they were "extremely disappointed" at the decision, but Acting Superintendent Sam Hoyle, the national manager of youth services, described their funding as "a drop in the bucket" of the road safety program. Obesity Action Coalition spokeswoman Celia Murphy welcomed the decision. "Every time the kids crossed the road at school the McDonald's brand was there on the vests of the patrol monitors. The whole deal was outrageous," she said. The New Zealand Police decision followed questions raised [5] about the deal in Parliament by Greens health spokesperson Sue Kedgley.