My secret shame . . . last Friday, I blew my ever-present diet and tried my first McFlurry at McDonald's Corporation (NYSE: MCD). I was driven to the Golden Arches not by a craving or a bad day, but by Jack Donaghy, the arrogant General Electric Corporation (NYSE: GE) executive played so masterfully by Alec Baldwin on 30 Rock, broadcast by GE's own NBC Network. In the Valentine's themed episode, Jack and lady love Elisa (Salma Hayek in a multi-arc guest-starring role) partake in the frozen concoction, praising it as "the world's greatest dessert." Soft ice cream, M&Ms, whipped together and served with the world's most practical-looking spoon? What could go wrong?
Well ... apparently some are criticizing the show for overt product placement. But true to the comedy's own wry sense of humor, the burger giant did not pay a penny. Tina Fey, show executive producer and Emmy-winning star, told reporters, "... the references to McDonald's in [Thursday's] 30 Rock were in no way product placement ... we received no money from the McDonald's Corporation....That's just the kind of revenue-generating masterminds we are."
I can't believe I was the only one to follow Jack and Elisa's lead. When I returned to my desk, a co-worker asked "Hey ... did you have to get one of those because of last night's 30 Rock?" While McDonald's may not have offered a cent for the product placement, they sure may be reaping the rewards.
Beth Gaston Moon works for WeSeed.com. The above comments are not intended as trading or investment advice.
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