Off top, this one isn’t an obvious example of tanning. A major corporation dropping a rap song in a commercial filled with African-Americans in an attempt to tap into the “urban” market isn’t exactly ground-breaking or all-inclusive. Target marketing is about as old as..well…marketing. At worst, this spot may be considered a bit generic.
To really grasp the underlining tanning taking place in McDonald’s latest Big Mac/Mac Snack ad, a brief foray into the annals of hip-hop history is necessary. In 1994, a visionary businessman and burgeoning label executive, Puff Daddy, came up with a novel marketing idea to promote two of his new acts: Craig Mack and The Notorious B.I.G. Craig Mack had just snagged a hit record with “Flava In Ya Ear,” which featured Biggie on the remix. To help push his two artists, Puff distributed CDs in actual McDonald’s Big Mac cartons—one side for Big, one side for Mack. It was a genius idea at the time, and helped build the buzz for one of the greatest emcees ever to do it: The Notorious B.I.G.
Although McDonald’s inclusion of Craig Mack’s “Flava In Ya Ear” is targeting a specific market, in a sense the company is paying tribute. Whether this homage is intentional is uncertain, but it is a complete role reversal. 17 years ago, Puffy leveraged Mickey D’s to sell his artists. 17 years later, Micky D’s is leveraging Diddy to sell its burgers. Watch the full spot below.
Source: www.TanningofAmerica.com
