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McDonald's and other chains are spending big on splashy meal deal ads

McDonald's and other chains are spending big on splashy meal deal ads

So far, McDonald's has spent the most on advertising its $5 meal deal

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The sun sets at a McDonald’s in Wellington, England.
The sun sets at a McDonald’s in Wellington, England.
Image: Anna Barclay (Getty Images)

It’s the summer of meal deals – and fast food giants like McDonald’s and Burger King are going tit-for-tat on bargains.

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Their efforts to get diners to make burger runs again also means they’ve had to spend quite a bit of money on marketing (say a few million) to reach them.

So far, McDonald’s has spent roughly $8.4 million on promoting the bundle, according to TV and streaming advertising firm iSpot, which provided data to Quartz.

Notably, the chain aired two national ads promoting the $5 meal deal – one in English and one in Spanish. Taking into account other promotions, McDonald’s has spent roughly $13.1 million on TV ads.

The firm’s data looks at a timeline of June 25-July 21, when other rival chains also had similar campaigns for $5 deals.

Let’s take a look at the estimated amount some chains spent on their respective promotions, including the amount of TV impressions their spot garnered during that window.

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A McDonald’s in London.
A McDonald’s in London.
Image: Mike Kemp/In Pictures (Getty Images)
  • TV Ad spend: $8.4 million
  • TV Impressions: 1.89 billion
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A Burger King in Barcelona, Spain.
A Burger King in Barcelona, Spain.
Image: Xavi Lopez/SOPA Images/LightRocket (Getty Images)
  • TV Ad spend: $6.1 million
  • TV Impressions: 2.2 billion
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A Wendy’s in New York.
A Wendy’s in New York.
Image: Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto (Getty Images)
  • TV Ad spend: $4.3 million
  • TV Impressions: 2.2 billion
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Dairy Queen’s $7 Meal Deal

A Dairy Queen, or DQ, in Shanghai, China.
A Dairy Queen, or DQ, in Shanghai, China.
Image: Alex Tai/SOPA Images/LightRocket (Getty Images)
  • TV Ad spend: $2 million
  • TV Impressions: 2.2 billion
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