McDonald's, 'Bee Movie' team to push green efforts

When asked if so-called green themes sell products, Hollywood movie mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg on Monday grinned widely.

"Green is really good," the chief executive officer of DreamWorks Animation SKG said. "If you don't believe me, just ask Shrek."

In Chicago to promote the co-marketing of the Friday opening of "Bee Movie" with McDonald's Corp., Katzenberg is behind a Shrek-like marketing blitz for the movie, which features comedian Jerry Seinfeld as an animated bee.

And because the film features the importance of bees, McDonald's held its promotion at the Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago to emphasize its environmental side and invited Chicago's A.N. Pritzker Elementary School to highlight its educational side.

"Kids all around the world are concerned about the environment," said Mary Dillon, global chief marketing officer of McDonald's. "McDonald's is one of the few brands that can reach many of them. We'll give kids a lot of ideas on what they can do."

McDonald's on Monday unveiled its "Bee Movie" Happy Meal promotion, which will resemble its "Shrek the Third" promotion.

The Happy Meals will feature "Bee Movie" action figures and healthier foods, including Apple Dippers, low-fat white milk and white meat Chicken McNuggets.

McDonald's officials declined to say how successful the Shrek promotion was, just saying it was "very, very successful." Katzenberg said it also drove sales for the film.

Television, print, radio and online promotions will be aimed at boosting both sales to children but sales of coffee products.

McDonald's has been using coffee sales to boost its position in the increasingly competitive fast-breakfast market.

For the next three weeks, all kids marketing and all breakfast advertising will have a "Bee Movie" element, McDonald's officials said. Other marketing, such as brand marketing, will continue as usual.

However, this time around the movie and fast-food promotion has an eco-friendly message boosted by McDonald's collaboration with Conservation International, an international nonprofit conservation group.

Children will be encouraged to take the eco-friendly "Bee Good to the Planet" pledge at both happymeal.com and conservation.org.

As part of the promotion, McDonald's pledged funds to support the conservation group's efforts to protect bee habitats in South Africa and Mexico.

Conservation International Chief Executive Officer Peter Seligmann was careful on Monday to stress McDonald's isn't just jumping on the latest green fad.

"The golden arches have been green for a very long time," Seligmann said, adding McDonald's has supported his organization for 20 years.