Oct 2, 2008 6:06 AM, PROMO Xtra, By Amy Johannes

McDonald’s Corp. is back once again with its popular Monopoly game offering millions of prizes. But this year, it’s creating early buzz around it with a pre-promotion sweepstakes.

Visitors can register by entering a free code (I6L6V4N4T2) through Oct. 6 for a chance to win $100,000. It’s the first time McDonald’s is offering an early promotion just days before the Monopoly game’s official launch on Oct. 7.

Similar to last year, McDonald’s has five ways for players to win in the Monopoly game: through the pre-promotion sweepstakes, collect and win, instant-win, guaranteed bonus and an online game.

Starting Oct. 7, customers can collect game pieces off medium and large fountain drinks and coffee, Hash Browns, Big Mac sandwiches and Angus Burger Sandwiches. Game stamps will either reveal an instant-win prize, such as free McDonald’s food, or cash prizes ranging from $50 to $100,000, or a Monopoly property. Players can collect game pieces and match “winning combinations” for a shot at cash prizes ranging from $50 to $100,000.One grand-prize winner will receive $1 million for matching the Park Place and Boardwalk game stamps.

In addition, returning partner Foot Locker is offering more than 95 million game pieces on Large French Fries, Premium Chicken Sandwiches, Southern Style Chicken Sandwiches and McSkillet Burritos items as part of the guaranteed bonus component of the in-store game. Each game piece carries a chance to win a $1,000 Foot Locker shopping spree, or 10%, 15% or 25% discounts off any Foot Locker purchase.

In all, McDonald’s is making more than 590 million game pieces available for the promotion, up from 557.1 million in 2007. Game boards are available at participating McDonald's restaurants, at participating Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker or Kids Foot Locker stores or via the Foot Locker business Web sites.

The Monopoly game runs in-store through Nov. 3 or while supplies last.

Online, people can enter 10-digit codes printed on their game pieces for a chance to win instant prizes, including 28 daily prizes of $100,000 through Nov. 3. Players roll virtual dice once for every code they enter up. Game tokens on the virtual board will move to the corresponding number of spaces. Consumers can collect property to form winning combinations, or those who land on the Chance, Community Chest, Go or Free Parking spaces will instantly win a prize.

For instance, players can win a $50 Shell refillable gift card every 15 minutes for players that land on the Free Parking space and $100 FootLocker.com gift reward cards every hour to people who land on the Chance space. Consumers can also win 25 points to redeem by landing on the Community Chest space or one hour of free Wi-Fi from Wayport, Inc. at McDonald's 10,000 Wi-Fi enabled restaurants by landing on the Go game board spot.

Participants who play the collect and win online game will have a shot at cash prizes ranging from $50 to $100,000. The online game runs through Nov. 17.

And new this year, McDonald’s is adding a mobile component to the mix. Customers can enter codes to play the online game through their mobile phones, sponsored by EA Mobile. People can also play by text message by sending the code on their game stamp to short code 96363. Once the code is received, players will receive one online game play.

On the site, visitors can also check out past winners of the game.

TV spots, online materials and P-O-P support the promotion.

The Marketing Store is the lead agency handing the promotion. Alma DDB handles Hispanic marketing advertising, and IW Group manages Asian American advertising. Tribal DDB is in charge of online advertising. GolinHarris handles general market PR and VPE Public Relations is in charge of PR for the Hispanic market, while Burrell Communications oversees PR and advertising for the African American market. DDB handles general market advertising and OMD is the media buying agency.

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