# Mass-Transit Giveaways This Chain is Kicking Off Its New Monopoly Campaign with Free Rides By Katherine Pendrill | Published 2016-03-30 | Marketing Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/monopoly-campaign References: [eater](http://www.eater.com/2016/3/29/11326916/mcdonalds-metro-washington-dc-free-rides) & [washingtonpost](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dr-gridlock/wp/2016/03/28/mcdonalds-to-give-away-10000-in-fares-tuesday-for-metros-anniversary/) [McDonald's](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/krispy-kreme-and-mcdonalds) is kicking off its new Monopoly campaign in the city of Washington, D.C. by giving away free rides. While the chain's famous Monopoly promotion is nothing new, this year McDonald's is kicking off the contest in a big way. To celebrate the new Monopoly campaign and the 40th anniversary of Washington's Metro service, McDonald's will be giving away $10,000 in fares. The chain has already handed out 2,000 SmarTrip cards, each of which is loaded with $5. The cards were packaged in commemorative sleeves with nods to the chain's [annual Monopoly promotion](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/premier-foods-and-hasbro). As president of the [McDonald’s Family Restaurants of Greater Washington, D.C.](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcdonalds-side-missions) Bryan Cleghorn explains, "Partnering with WMATA was a natural tie-in that allowed thousands in the Greater Washington area to celebrate the start of the game with us." The promotion demonstrates how brands can drum up renewed excitement for annual promotions and ongoing campaigns. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.0/10 - Popularity: 10% | Activity: 12% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Marketing](https://www.trendhunter.com/marketing) > [Branding](https://www.trendhunter.com/branding) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Annual Promotions:** Opportunity to generate renewed excitement for recurring campaigns. - **Branded Partnerships:** Potential for partnering with other brands to enhance promotions and increase engagement. - **Celebratory Campaigns:** Creating special promotions to celebrate milestones or anniversaries can generate buzz and increase brand loyalty. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Fast Food:** Fast food chains can leverage annual promotions to attract customers and increase sales. - **Transportation:** Transportation companies can collaborate with brands for promotional campaigns and offer free rides or discounts. - **Marketing and Advertising:** Agencies and marketers can develop creative strategies to enhance annual promotions and maximize customer engagement. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Fast Food Reward Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mymcdonalds-rewards.md) - [Complimentary Donut QSR Promotions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/krispy-kreme-and-mcdonalds.md) - [Interactive Menu Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/supersized-sweeps.md) - [Complimentary QSR Fries Promotions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcdonalds-free-fries-friday.md) - [QSR Game-Inspired Fitness Partnerships](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcdonalds-monopoly1.md) - [Fry Lover Travel Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/frequent-fryer-program.md) - [Back-to-School QSR Promotions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcdonalds-educator-promotion.md) - [Beer-Branded Complimentary Public Transportations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/complimentary-public-transportation.md) - [Gamified Fast Food Challenges](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcdonalds-side-missions.md)