The McDonald’s Shamrock Shake is back and its a sure sign that spring is back with us! Actually, it’s the first time I’ve heard of McD’s Shamrock Shakes. But the first thing I though was “Oh cool!” and then I thought “Ew.. looks kind of nasty” and so I never tried one. It is “a mint flavored, green-dyed vanilla milkshake, is a seasonal dessert sold at McDonald’s during March to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day”.
Shamrock Shake was first introduced in 1970. “It all began with a little girl, a football team, and a visionary doctor.” (said on the McDonald’s website) And basic story goes like this — There was a football player’s daughter who was diagnosed with leukemia and began treatment. That family realized that many family’s like them had to camp out in waiting rooms while their family members were receiving treatment. So the family and the team decided to raise some funds, called up a friend who worked in McDonald’s advertising and suggested the team for the next promotional push. It just so happened to be St. Patrick’s Day. The Shamrock Shake raised enough money to buy a four-story house which was the first Ronald McDonald House Charity.
Story from: Wikipedia – Shamrock Shake
I might now go get a Shamrock Shake after knowing that it has a symbolic meaning behind it. So I really think that having a story behind a product really allows for products to sell, sometimes even if they aren’t very good products. It’s the story that the customers buy.
McDonald’s clever marketing promotion to play off of Chicago’s annual green dying of the river for St. Patrick’s Day! A great way to catch people’s attention — not to mention Dramatic!
Pictures courtesy of Rindert Dalstra’s post on CreativeCriminals.
