High School Football
LSM Guide

Overview

This High School Football LSM guide offers tips and resources to help you successfully leverage opportunities in your community during the football season, including efforts that complement the Spirit Showdown competition. Many ideas can also be used as thought starters for involvement in other high school sports throughout the year.

Some events may present an opportunity for traditional media outreach. Please reach out to Aquarius Williams if you’d like us to help coordinate media for an upcoming event at your restaurant.


If you’re getting stuck, don’t hesitate to use CKP as a resource! Please reach out to Whitney Radley to brainstorm ideas and opportunities in your community.


If you think your store activation or city-wide initiative might be a fit for the North Texas social media channels, make a submission to CKP’s Story Submission Form. We love to share and amplify McDonald’s community investment across North Texas and the surrounding areas!

Where to Start

The first step is reaching out to local schools. This might include:

• Varsity Football Coaches
• Athletic Director
• District Administration

Search online or ask your school contact about important dates like:

• Home/Away Games
• Homecoming
• Booster Club Events and Fundraisers

When communicating with schools about the Spirit Showdown competition, this one-pager can be used as a guide and can be delivered to them. Some may even post it in their school to motivate their student body!

Suggested Activities: In Restaurant


  • Host the Team

    • Invite band, cheer and/or dance teams to the restaurant the week of a home game

    • Host a school pep rally or a "Meet the Team"event at your restaurant. Note: McDonald's/UIL policy requires that restaurants invite the entire team, not just certain players

    • Promote post-game dining with a special offer for fans presenting a school ID or wearing school colors (e.g., free fries, BOGO breakfast sandwich, discounted combo meal, etc.)

    • If your dining room isn’t open late, consider keeping it open late after home games

    • Select a McDonald’s “Player of the Week” or “Coach of the Month” to celebrate local athletes and coaches throughout the school year (CKP can assist with celebration ideas)

  • Show School Spirit

    • Provide branded promotional items like foam fingers, thundersticks, noisemakers, hats or t-shirts to students who show their school ID or show the McDonald’s app. Note: You will need to custom-order these items

    • Change the reader board to “Go [Mustangs, etc.]! Open after the game"

    • Encourage crew to wear school colors on game days

    • Make t-shirts with the McDonald’s logo on school colors for crew to wear on game days Note: You will need permission from the school to include the school’s name or logo on the shirt

    • Print and hang posters of high school team roster, schedule, or logo in your restaurant


Suggested Activities: On Campus


  • Hand out free fries BOGs after pep rallies and/or home games
  • Note: Die-cut designs will stand out


  • Bring costume characters to pass out BOGs during home games


  • Coordinate food deliveries to football, band, cheer and/or dance teams
  • Note: This is especially helpful before extra-long-distance away games so students can eat during the bus ride


  • Offer a special the day after a win when you show your game ticket (e.g., free fries, BOGO breakfast sandwich, discounted combo meal, etc.)


  • Provide lunch or dinner for the team on away game days


  • Be the official sports drink sponsor for the team by providing Powerade for both teams during home games





Partner with Local Media

Please reach out to Aquarius Williams if you’d like CKP to help coordinating any of the following opportunities:


  • Sponsor local newspaper, radio or television high school sports section, show or segment
  • This might include social media recognition, logo placement, naming rights, etc.


  • If they already recognize a player, coach or team of the week, consider sponsoring and providing the winner with a McDonald’s prize pack or free food


  • Invite local radio stations, podcasts or social media influencers to broadcast pre-game predictions or post-game recaps from your restaurant


Sponsor The Team

Sponsor your local football team (This can include financial support for their booster club, stadium, equipment, uniforms, meal and travel expenses.)


  • Place advertisements in game programs, on scoreboards, or on banners at the stadium
  • If your local football field or facility is in need of repair or renovation, sponsor the refurbishment efforts
  • Sponsor the annual football schedule or team roster poster 
  • Sponsor logos on sports fields and practice uniforms


Sponsor a parking space at the stadium where one randomly drawn student (or their family if they’re not of driving age) gets to park at that week’s home game


  • The winner can be selected and announced during the morning announcements
  • Consider painting the parking spot or curb, or putting up a sign with McDonald’s branding
  • Consider giving the student a prize pack including BOGs or Arch Cards


Sponsor a field day/car wash/other event as a fundraiser for the football team


  • Leverage on-site characters and CBP assets, food giveaways, etc.


Leverage opportunities to offer McDonald's prizes


  • Provide auction items at Booster Club fundraisers
  • Offer raffle tickets at games or sports banquets for the chance to win a prize pack, free meal or Arch Cards
  • Give away free Big Macs for a year to one randomly selected fan in the stands at each home game during half time, given in the form of 52 Free Big Mac BOGs 

Share with CKP for Amplification

Let us know what you’re doing in your local community by making a submission to CKP’s Social Media Request Form so that we can help promote your activities!


We love to include photos! Just make sure that all people photographed have signed this online photography waiver.


  • Send us a list of home game dates, school name/mascot and any calls to action so we can post on your restaurant’s Facebook page
  • For any events/sponsorships that include Jumbotron video, CKP can provide relevant videos, images, graphics and logos
  • Share photos of your crew, school spirit or on-campus/in-stadium activities


Questions or feedback? Please reach out to Aquarius Williams at CKP.