Well, here’s something that’s so ridiculous it couldn’t be made up. McDonald’s teamed up with MySpace to create a new jingle for the 40th anniversary of the Big Mac. The original song (two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce…) was created back in 1974. Over 1,000 user created songs and videos were submitted - the winner’s jingle becomes the official Big Mac song and will be featured in a McDonald’s Big Mac TV commercial.
Enter 29 year old Tamien Bain, who held up a McDonald’s at gunpoint when he was 14, was convicted as an adult and served 12 years in prison. He’s also one of the five finalists in the jingle competition (no. 4, the guy with the white tshirt and baseball cap).
The finalists were selected by a panel of judges. Apparently someone didn’t do a background check before making the final decisions. Or perhaps they did a background check and this is a publicity stunt. Either way, Bain has reportedly hired a PR person and is making the most of the contest.
I can’t wait to see the commercial, because he’s definitely going to win. Here’s his video submission:
haha classic
ha..ha… bet Mcdonalds didn’t see that one coming….
What’s funny is I’m torn between number 2 and number 3 on the top five… both of those are amazing…
Here’s my entry:
Two all beef patties
Spizzecial sauce
Lettuce, Cheese
Pizzickles, Onnies
On the sesame seed bun
Mutha@#$%!
Are all 5 of the jingles rap related? uugghh..
How come the exterior is a BMW, but interior is a honda?
Andrew,
Nice observation
The exterior was shot during the day, and the interior at night - obviously a different car
The irony
i guess prison does change people
Glad to know he made good use of his time in prison and learned a new trade or skills while incarcerated - didn’t know they offered film production in prison!
The only story here is that prison actually reformed someone.
it’s pretty good, I mean it’s not that bad - it sells
i don’t think McD should automatically revoke that entry because of the past of the individual
Wow, the irony here is unbeatable. Maybe there’s something in the fine print of the rules of the contest saying you are not eligible to win if you’ve held up a McDonalds at gunpoint!
On a serious note, I really like this contest! This is one of the most innovative marketing strategies that McDonalds has done in a long time!
This is a really great story actually. Anyone can be misguided in youth and fall into a bad crowd under the circumstances. I congratulate him, win or lose.
Objectively listening to the 5 remaining songs, his is actually the most creative and catchy. It’s between #2 and #4 (Tamien Bain). But #2 isn’t really creative; it sounds too old, latching on to old jingles.
I would think they’re looking for something fresh. So if McDonald’s wants something new & catchy that they can re-arrange, #4 is, by far, the best. It offers a lot of musical and verbal hooks to play around with.
very funny the circularity of life, but we live in the land of forgiveness so if he writes a nice jingle itll deffinitely get me hungry reguardless of his record. i respect checkerd pasts like i respect the big mac an all american classic
Tried as an adult at 14!?!? And served 12 years?!?! What a shame.
I bet you a white kid would not have been tried as an adult….
While I agree with you, he must have had some priors to get that many years.
Interestingly, I actually heard about this story on local morning radio before it hit teh internets.
Sadly, your bet would likely pay out considering it is a statistical fact (same crime gets an AA more time than a non AA…those remnants of racism still weeding their way out of our society but it is going to take time)
So why should McDs have done a background check on him? So he was convicted…why should that be a problem with him entering this compteition now?
Two all beef paties, 38 special secret sauce, take your lettuce, pick(ur) pockets, on the run run …
It’s a whole new take on a modern day version of the McBurglar character I grew up with.
The dood was 14??? WTF???
How much does it cost to make one of these puppies? 110,000 a pop sounds a bit snotty. I think I’ll go with something safer with a better track record for that much money.
If this is the best one, I hate to see the worst.
I wish I’d known this contest earlier. You see, I’m so fond of making jingles and songs. It’s kind of sad that I never got a chance to join.
Well anyways, I guess McDonald’s and MySpace’ partnership is great.
////The finalists were selected by a panel of judges. Apparently someone didn’t do a background check before making the final decisions. Or perhaps they did a background check and this is a publicity stunt….
Wouldn’t have been a shame if they had rejected his jingle because of his background.
It is in society’s interest to rehabilitate the young. His career opportunities will be severely limited as it is - this may be the only incentive for him have hope and to strive for some success in life
I absolutely agree with you. prison for 12 years = debt paid. Especially considering he was 14.
I voted for him.
this is the future of advertising, customers making it for companies, street up, instead of company down …
It’s pathetic that some posters decided to leave snide comments. At least the guy is trying to get a break in life after prison with the contest and seems to have some talent to have made it to the finals (though I was not overly impressed with the video).
Take a look at the prison stats in our country and give the kid a break.
This is truly a sad state of affairs. No, not the jingle story. The fact that this story was also on Perez Hilton - and Perez was first with this.
P.S. Not only is the new comment system harder to read, I can’t post without enabling Javascript?
[redacted] scum.
Ha ha, I bet you think you’re funny. Idiot!
I’m sure there are plenty of people in this world that have some choice words for you to Rajiv.
What a POS you are. Your mom thought she had a baby. Instead it seems she had nothing more than a terrible case of diarrhea.
I’m glad that the entries reflect a wide variety of people and cultures, because that’s what McDonalds is all about - people of all races and creeds sitting down together for a nice burger and… oh, no, wait. WTF??
HAHAHA!! Too Funny!! I guess you can’t be considered a good rapper without a rap sheet.
Give the guy a second chance but lets remember he hasn’t won yet.
this guy is good !! prison had a good effect
brian
http://www.themostpowerfulcompany.com
#3 is WAY better than any of these.
Yeah Track #3 is good. #2 is pretty good too. I’m not feelin this guy Tambien’s track
This whole thing reminds me of that Big Mac-obsessed inmate in that Adam Sandler movie, The Longest Yard.
‘he was 14, was convicted as an adult and served 12 years in prison’
Mike…despite pointing out a severe injustice, i dont think it’s appropriate to post news like this at the expense of someone else’s misfortune.
The kid did his time and I dont think needs to be reminded of it in a public forum. Many black males face the same injustices in this country while their non-blacks counterparts often get off with less severe sentencing even after having committed far more serious crimes(ie, shooting rampages, rape, murder).
Maybe you were intentionally pointing out the inappropriateness of the punishment here but it comes across as more of ’sensationalist, vallegwag hack-job.’
yeah, the kid hired a PR rep to make sure this story got out. He used a gun to hold up a McDonald’s. He’s not the victim here, despite how easy it is to manipulate most people into thinking he is. He’s a thug, and a joke, and a loser.
Mike, you might want to stick to tech news. When you venture outside that circle, you just reveal how big of a prick you are.
I’m the victim here. heh.
I’m sorry Michael, but the comments you made continue to show why there is a huge issue with crime and America.
Most “hoods” are filled with people who take questionable paths to get money and you just learn from your peers. This individual could have grew up in that lifestyle and he made some decisions that were poor. Now it appears he is doing his best to support himself without a great education and what people like you are doing is saying that he has no purpose in life and that he shouldn’t ever get anything.
You may have grew up where having a girlfriend was your biggest issue, but unfortunately a good part of the nation has bigger worries and issues.
Maybe instead of talking and looking down at people, you can help them or stick with tech. But I’m done with TechCrunch, if you don’t issue an apology.
so you want me to apologize for thinking that it’s funny that a guy who held up a McDonalds with a gun is now going to win the new Big Mac jingle and get on a tv commercial?
“He’s a thug, and a joke, and a loser.”
Well obviously you got picked on a lot as a child, of course I have no evidence for this except for your crass social viewpoint and the fact that you’re into computers, and well… a white male in his 40’s.
While your comment is based on a young teen’s horrible life-altering decision made 15 years ago, and prompted by the now grown man’s act of creativity.
One has to wonder, if like an anti-gay screeching closeted gay politician that habituates public bathrooms for gay sex, your comment masks an inner-insecurity regarding horrible decisions you could or may have made and close calls you experienced undermining your self-confidence in your abilities to make innovative choice in the present and future.
Well, ok, after looking at the myspace page for Tamien Bain, putting aside the injustice of him being tried as an adult and also getting 12 years, it does appear he has his own crass social viewpoints to answer for.
that’s a lot of psycho-analysis over a blog post.
Pretty funny indeed.
I say track 2 should be the winner, it is the most commercial and ties together with the pre existing “I’m loving it” theme. The others are just too weird to me…but who knows.
rap sucks, especially gangsta shit, its the reason why most young blacks (and more other races too now) worship doing bad shit
Terrible, simply put terrible.
He’s also vegetarian.
Rap sucks. Criminals suck. Armed criminals belong in jail for life. Time for a one strike law.
so this guy endup robbing a mcdonald, 12 years ago and now he is going to represent mcdonald only in america.. i love this guy, he is going to change the mindframed of america, and i found out also that his judge that sentence him was Alex E. Ferrer
IRONY>>>LADIES AND GENTLEMEN I’m GOINg TO FOLLOW MY DREAM>>
THERE IS SUCH A THING as second chance…12 years `12 years, could any of you guy do 12 years in prison in your teen years,,, prison raised himm…that crazy