| In a global television commercial just launched (10 June | | | | just how multi-lingual he is. The new commercial airs |
| 2005), Ronald McDonald energetically rides a bike. He | | | | first in the United States and will soon be broadcast in |
| deftly shoots hoops with basketball megastar Yao | | | | Canada, Germany, Italy, Portugal, China, Hong Kong, |
| Ming. He even snowboards like a pro.It's enough to | | | | Singapore, Taiwan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, |
| make you choke on your super-sized Big Mac meal. | | | | Uruguay, Chile and Argentina.And that's only the |
| Yes, McDonald's "Chief Happiness Officer" now has a | | | | beginning. The TV spots will be followed later this year |
| new title: "Amabassador of Balanced Lifestyles".But he | | | | with a series of "Go Active with Ronald McDonald" |
| won't be giving up his old job.The McDonald's-owned | | | | interactive community shows accross the US and in |
| website, GoActive.com, explains how Ronald juggles | | | | other countries.Active he may be, but it's obvious even |
| the two titles. "As McDonald's Chief Happiness Officer, | | | | Ronald will need some help in this historic mission. |
| Ronald McDonald is involved with anything and | | | | Tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, hockey |
| everything that makes people happy. He wants the | | | | player Wayne Gretzky and speed skater Bonnie Blair |
| best for everyone."And it seems that when it comes | | | | are among the sporting luminaries McDonald's has |
| to what's best for everyone, fatty junk fare (described | | | | pressed into service.CEO Skinner has declined to put a |
| by GoActive as "tasty, wholesome food") is just not | | | | price tag on the mission, but perhaps the TV networks |
| enough any more. In a stunning revelation, the site tells | | | | and sports stars will get with the public-spiritedness of |
| us that we now also need "physical activity that | | | | the campaign and donate their services gratis.Of |
| seems like play" and "robust good health".Enter Ronald | | | | course, the company is adamant that none of this has |
| in his new, ambassadorial role ... "Ronald believes in an | | | | anything to do with all those unfairly-critical articles in |
| active, balanced lifestyle. He lives one himeself. And he | | | | the media, alarmist books like Fast Food Nation, and |
| is the ambassador of active, blanced lifestyles for | | | | muck-raking documetaries like Super Size Me. Nor, its |
| everyone."So just what does this new diplomatic | | | | insists, has it anything to do with recent court actions in |
| status entail? GoActive,com explains that Ronald | | | | which money-grabbing litigants have won millions of |
| considers physical activity a "critical component of the | | | | dollars in settlements.On the contrary, we're told, the |
| energy balance equation".Wow, Ronald's starting to | | | | latest campaign is just a natural evolution of previous |
| speak like an ambassador already! We ordinary folk | | | | efforts on Ronald's part to teach children how to keep |
| would have said something low-brow like, "If you're | | | | safe, like fastening seat belts and wearing bicycle |
| going to eat fattening, junk food, you'd better try to | | | | helmets - both very important things for kids to know, |
| burn it off with some exercise".Like any good diplomat, | | | | so we'll understand if Ronald forgot to warn them not |
| Ronald's pretty vague about how he's going to | | | | to eat unhealthy food like burgers and fries."This is just |
| achieve this goal, promising to work "with the people of | | | | another way we're communicating with our customers |
| McDonald's in various ways to help parents and | | | | on the importance of energy balance," company |
| children identify realistic, fun ways to incorporate | | | | spokesperson Lisa Howard said.Hey, there's that |
| fitness and exercise into their daily lives."If Ronald's | | | | "energy balance" term again.Sounds like Lisa's been |
| sounding ambassadorial, his boss, McDonald's Chief | | | | getting some lessons in diplomat-speak from Uncle |
| Executive Officer Jim Skinner, sounded positively | | | | Ronald!Alan Cooper is a journalist with 20 year's |
| Presidential when he announced his company's "It's | | | | experience and the publisher of a site with the |
| what I eat and what I do ... I'm lovin' it" campaign."We | | | | ambitious aim of being a "one-stop-shop" for impartial |
| will use our size and strength to set an example," he | | | | information on obesity and weight loss solutions - |
| told the media. The campaign includes television | | | | including fad diets, prescription weightloss pills and |
| adverts, new packaging, an updated Web site and a | | | | natural weightloss aids.ObesityCures also has pages |
| fresh series a videos featuring Ambassador Ronald | | | | devoted to Ronald McDonald and other developments |
| teaching children how to eat well and stay active.And | | | | on the obesity and fast foods front. |
| like a true diplomat, Ronald will soon get to demostrate | | | | |