McDonald's(TM) Launches Flavor Battle(TM) National DJ Competition Featuring Celebrity DJs Spinderella, Bryan Michael Cox and DJ Irie

McDonald's(TM) Launches Flavor Battle(TM) National DJ Competition Featuring Celebrity DJs Spinderella, Bryan Michael Cox and DJ Irie

Invites Consumers to 'Voice Your Choice and Choose Your Flavor' at 365Black.com

OAK BROOK, Ill., Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- The McDonald's Flavor Battle is a new, national premier DJ competition, kicking off nationwide September 7. Three national DJs will battle it out online at McDonald's 365Black.com from September 7 through November 22, giving consumers an opportunity to vote for the DJs' old school, new school and R&B mixes at the web site, and a chance to win big prizes.

The DJs each will represent a McDonald's famous burger: Los Angeles-based DJ Spinderella, of legendary 80's hip-hop fame, represents the Big Mac(TM); Bryan Michael Cox, a Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer out of Houston and Atlanta, represents the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese(TM); and Miami-based DJ Irie, the only official DJ for the pro-basketball team Miami Heat and the official DJ for actor and R&B artist Jamie Foxx, represents the newest burger, the Angus Third Pounder(TM).

Voters at 365Black.com enter the McDonald's Flavor Battle sweepstakes for a prize package, including a trip to Atlanta for the Sprite Step Off National Finals in January 2010. The Sprite Step Off is a national collegiate step team competition hitting campuses nationwide from September through November with the finals in Atlanta in January. The 32-ounce soft drink cups at participating McDonald's restaurants include a coupon for $5 off the admission price to Sprite Step Off events.

"The McDonald's Flavor Battle is all about energy and excitement and recognizing the creativity of one of this country's underappreciated art forms - the DJ experience," said Rob Jackson, Director of U.S. Marketing, McDonald's USA. "The great thing is that we also get to reward consumers with both a fun online and college-based experience."

In addition to the national DJ competition online, the McDonald's Flavor Battle is also a unique integration within the 30 Sprite Step Off events in 25 metropolitan areas. From September 12 - November 21, 90 emerging and established DJs face off in 25 metropolitan areas during the live Sprite Step Off events.

Three local DJs will each represent a big burger and compete to win the McDonald's Flavor Battle on the main stage at the Sprite Step Off events. Audience members will "voice their choice" for their favorite McDonald's burger and DJ via text message. Every text message counts as an entry into the national McDonald's Flavor Battle sweepstakes, along with voting on 365Black.com.

At the Sprite Step Off, the competing step teams will not only vie for the national step team championship, they will also engage in community service activities in the cities where they compete as part of the Sprite Step Off Service Challenge. Additionally, Ronald McDonald House Charities and McDonald's(TM) will host college students at Ronald McDonald Houses across the country to help achieve the Sprite Step Off Service Challenge national goal of 1.5 million service hours.

The live events will occur in Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Birmingham, Bloomington (IN), Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbia (MO), Columbia (SC), Columbus (OH), Dallas, Fayetteville (AR), Houston, Morgantown (WV), Long Beach, Montgomery (AL), New Orleans, New York City, Norfolk, Philadelphia, Raleigh, San Francisco, St. Louis, Tallahassee and Washington, D.C.

For more information about the McDonald's Flavor Battle, entry forms and official rules, visit www.365Black.com. For more information about the Sprite Step Off, visit www.spritestepoff.com.

About McDonald's

McDonald's USA, LLC, is the leading foodservice provider in the United States serving a variety of wholesome foods made from quality ingredients to millions of customers every day. More than 80 percent of McDonald's 13,700 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by local franchisees. For more information about McDonald's visit www.mcdonalds.com.

About Ronald McDonald House Charities

Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC ), a non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation, creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well being of children. Its programs are grassroots-driven to enable the Charity to offer help where children need it most - right in their own communities. RMHC makes an immediate, positive impact on children's lives through its global network of local Chapters in 52 countries and its three core programs: the Ronald McDonald House , Ronald McDonald Family Room and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile . RMHC and its global network of local Chapters have awarded more than $460 million in grants and program services to children's programs around the world. These programs and grants provide a bridge to assessable health care and allow families more time together which helps in the healing process. For more information, visit www.rmhc.org.

About Sprite Step Off

Championed by Sprite, the leading lemon-lime sparkling beverage brand among multicultural youth, Sprite Step Off is a national competition that celebrates the creativity and originality of the multicultural college experience through stepping, scholarship and service. It is the largest step competition for Greek letter organizations in the U.S., with the largest prize pool ever. Sprite Step Off will make it possible for a broader audience to experience an iconic form of self-expression that has been shared by multicultural college students for decades and encourage young people nationwide to get involved in community service to improve their communities. For more information on Sprite Step Off, visit spritestepoff.com.

For high-resolution celebrity DJ photos and bios, go to: http://www.mcdepk.com/flavorbattle/

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: McDonald's

CONTACT: Nicole Neal of McDonald's USA, LLC, +1-630-623-2901,
+1-773-415-3696, mobile, nicole.neal@us.mcd.com; or Tracy Anderson of Burrell
Communications, +1-312-297-9875, +1-312-520-4716, mobile,
tanderson@burrell.com, for McDonald's

Web Site: http://www.mcdonalds.com/
http://www.rmhc.org/
http://www.365black.com/
http://www.spritestepoff.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment