McDonald’s=Music

McDonald’s is the latest non-music company (Pepsi, Starbucks) to use free music as a marketing tool:

McDonald’s is partnering with Sony’s Connect download service to offer free digital music to its patrons.

Through the international Big Mac Meal Tracks promotion, McDonald’s customers who buy a Big Mac Extra Value Meal will receive an access code that allows one free song download from the Connect music store.

The promotion kicks off June 8 in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. It will run for six weeks.

The promotion launches in early July in the United Kingdom, France and Germany.

For Connect, the partnership means increased visibility and a way to draw traffic to its online store.

McDonald’s sees the partnership as a customer service, according to Rick Marroquin, McDonald’s USA director of marketing.

….The Connect music store is accessible through connect.com, connect.com/canada or connect-europe.com.

The Big Mac Meal Tracks promotion is part of McDonald’s worldwide “I’m Lovin’ It” consumer campaign. [Reuters]

Nickelback leader Chad Kroeger is humping the promotion in Canada:

The Nickelback frontman and 604 Records executive has just shaken the big yellow glove of that red-haired harlequin known as Ronald to become the Canadian spokesman for the new McDonalds Big Mac Meal Tracks promotion. As if the delicious burger and convenient cardboard flip-box that your Big Mac comes in wasn’t treat enough, now you’ll also receive an access code with each sandwich or, for the more gluttonous of us, Extra Value Meal. Then, through a partnership with Sony and Puretracks, you’ll be able to log on to a website that will allow you to download one song absolutely free.

Kroeger, who incidentally likes the McNuggets best, spoke at a press conference held today at the Eaton’s Centre in Toronto for Big Mac Meal Tracks. There was the buffoonery of Ronald, the unveiling of a new I’m Lovin’ It ad campaign and a live performance by The Brothers Conti, who perform the soundtrack to the new commercials.

….Kroeger sees the McDonalds/Sony initiative as being a positive step to help the music industry and those musicians hurt by rampant illegal downloads.

“Changing people’s mindsets, that’s what has to happen,” Kroger says. [ChartAttack]