From August 15 to October 15 of 1982, Mcdonald’s gave away over 12,000 Atari prizes worth over 4 million dollars and included video game consoles, home computers and McDonald’s food and drinks. At participating McDonald’s you were given a game piece based on an Atari video game, that you would scratch off. If you matched a prize, you won, but avoid the word Zap. Here is a commercial from the event…
That was a great time for McDonald’s, I remember begging my dad to stop in for some chicken McNuggets so that we could get some scratch cards.
Noticed that Robert Doqui (Robocop, Kolchak) was in that ad as well. :)
I fondly remember that McDonald’s asteroid scratch off game. I was 10 years old on vacation with my family in Lake Tahoe that summer, and I was obsessed with playing that game as often as possible. Never won and Atari game but won lots of free food.
I love fast food nostalgia! One of my favorite Retroist days ever!
Hope you enjoy the podcast…
One of the best promotions ever – right up there with the Empire Strikes Back glasses at Burger King.