McDonald's Reading Campaign

McDonald’s is not only incorporating ‘healthy eating’ into its business model, but it is fast becoming an advocate of literacy. Who’d have thought it? I didn’t realise McDonald’s was quite so altruistic, but it seems that young people reading is top of the agenda for the fast food giant. I suppose if people are going to continually criticise the chain for its unhealthy calorie infested meals, then it is going to have to shift the focus of its business model elsewhere in order to continually make the sales.

McDonald’s has teamed up with publisher HarperCollins to promote millions of copies of former children’s laureate Morpurgo’s Mudpuddle Farm books, by handing them out with children’s Happy Meals in one of the largest promotions the fast food chain has ever seen. Supported by the National Literacy Trust, McDonald’s is set to give away nine million books by Michael Morpurgo, author of the smash hit children’s novel War Horse. The aim of the campaign is to promote reading as a family activity, focusing not only on phonetics, but on the enjoyment of reading as a pass time. And I totally agree, but I think making a direct association with McDonald’s Happy Meals and the reading of books is a massive mistake, because children at a young age will come to associate one with the other, and it will become apparent that children will refuse to read unless there is a McDonald's treat involved. So the next generation of kids may be highly literate and well-versed in Shakespeare, but this correlation will probably result in them being highly overweight as well. Sorry, I don’t buy it. Although it is said that these books will be available to purchase from McDonald’s outlets without needing to buy a meal, I can’t imagine that any child in McDonald’s will be happy buying a book and no food. I am an advocate for group efforts – particularly in terms of literacy and the publishing arena, but I don’t think that this is a good move for HarperCollins, and I believe that there are far healthier ways to promote reading for young children.