Talk about awkward product placement…
In a lead-up to her Ultimate Australian Adventure, Oprah Winfrey last week aired Oprah’s Aussie Countdown, which featured a segment with a report by Australian TV personality Carrie Bickmore. Ms. Bickmore’s report, meant to educate the audience on Australian culture, sparked an upset when she said Australians like to spend time at “hip hangouts” called McDonald’s.
How’s that for a slap in the face? I guess Harpo execs think that their target audience is a bit slow on the uptake. Come on..really? Hip hangouts called McDonald’s??
In shocking news..
A spokesman for Harpo confirmed that McDonald’s was a sponsor for the Aussie Countdown episode, along with Qantas (an audience member received a free trip for two to Australia), Motorola (audience members received free phones) and Tourism Australia, which is covering the ground costs of the visit (no money is going directly to Harpo).
Had the production team given this a little more thought, I’m completely convinced that they could have come up with a better way to incorporate McDonald’s into the show.
Filed under: Business, Food, Marketing, awkward, Carrie Bickmore, Harpo, McDonald's, Oprah Winfrey, Oprah's Aussie Countdown, product placement, sponsor, talk show, Ultimate Australian Adventure
Maya Reports 