It's that time of year again. McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) kicks off its Monopoly promotion this morning. From now through Nov. 1, fast-food buffs will be peeling off game pieces on beverage cups, sandwich boxes, and French fry containers.
Leaning on the theme of Hasbro's (NYSE: HAS) timeless board game, 25% of the game pieces result in instant prizes. But the real drivers here are the larger rewards available to those who manage to collect entire property lines.
The world's largest restaurant chain is teaming up with several killer brands to stock its Community Chest of prizes. Collect all four of the railroad game pieces, and you'll win a sports-themed trip for two, valued at $7,000, from Electronic Arts (Nasdaq: ERTS). All-inclusive getaways to Beaches resorts in the Turks & Caicos or Jamaica, $200 SpaWish gift certificates, and cash prizes up to $1 million are also up for grabs.
As an investor, it's easy to see the appeal of this limited-time promotion. If you peel off Park Place, you'll keep coming back for a shot at Boardwalk, regardless of the long odds -- or expanding waistlines. (Yep, those game pieces don't come in salad containers or yogurt parfaits.)
The "instant win" pieces may not be as attractive in drumming up repeat visits, but they'll still get some infrequent burger eaters to line up in the drive-thru lane. The one-off prizes have historically been free food -- a welcome bonus to stimulate future visits -- but McDonald's is teaming up with plenty of other well-heeled sponsors to award free photo prints from Hewlett-Packard's (NYSE: HPQ) Snapfish, Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) gift certificates, Coca Cola (NYSE: KO) MyCoke Rewards points, and one-night rentals from Coinstar's (Nasdaq: CSTR) Redbox.
The sponsors also have reasons to get pumped this month. Snapfish often uses its "20 free photofinishing prints" offer as a promotional baiting tool. Electronic Arts is throwing in a 3-month subscription to its Pogo.com casual gaming hub, hoping that users will stick around as premium subscribers come January.
Clearly, the campaign works. McDonald's has been turning to Monopoly promos since 1987. And now that Mickey D's has high-end McCafe coffee and smoothie beverages to drive per capita prices higher, this could be the fast-food chain's most lucrative Monopoly campaign ever.
Will you find yourself hitting up McDonald's more often than usual this month? Do you prefer the top hat, the race car, the iron, or the dog? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.
