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"Eat Like An Olympic Athlete"...At McDonald's?

McDonald's, a corporate sponsor of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, has recently launched a new Olympic-themed marketing campaign.

The slogan: "Now, you don't have to be an Olympic athlete to eat like one". Implying that eating at McDonalds...will somehow put you in the same class as elite athletes.

Advertising is seldom celebrated for its honesty, but,the new McDonald's marketing campaign seems to be especially disingenuous with its suggestions that the path to becoming a successful athlete is paved with Big Macs and chicken nuggets...especially at a time when Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign is seeking to address the forces that contribute to childhood obesity (commercial television is one of them).

Watch One Of The Ads



Check out McDonald's advertising campaign in Canada, featuring several Canadian Olympic athletes chowing down on their "favorite" McDonald's meals:

Blogger Monika Evstatieva criticizes McDonald's advertising strategies surrounding the Winter Olympics on NPR's Tell Me More.

Evstatieva calls attention to evidence that disproves the claims in the McDonalds ads – that Olympic athletes eat fast food, including American Olympic medalist, snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis's, statement that she strictly eats organic food to maintain a healthy and fit body.

McDonald's attempt to portray their food products as promoting a healthy lifestyle is not new for the fast-food giant. Â Over the past few years, their menu has evolved to feature "healthier" choices of salads and kid's meals that feature apples and milk instead of french fries and soda.

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