McDonald's Pays Up
After major PR nightmare, McDonald's says it will pay SXSW artists
On March 4, Brooklyn-based Ex Cops published a letter chastising McDonald's for failing to pay bands performing during the company's official SXSW showcase. The letter went viral and news stories outlining the irony of a multi-billion-dollar corporation claiming to have no budget to pay bands were abundant.
McDonald's somehow made things worse when its social media director issued a blasé response ending in the hashtag #slownewsday. (Let's just say no one was lovin' it.)
It seems McDonald's has had a change of opinion when it comes to paying bands. In a statement to Billboard, the fast food chain confirmed that it would indeed pay those performing at its SXSW showcase.
SXSW started as a conference and festival for the music industry, related press and up-and-coming musicians bringing the community together to showcase their talents. We are excited to expand our support of music at our SXSW activation where the lineup features a great assortment of more than 20 bands, honoring the spirit of the festival. To further support these artists, all bands performing at our showcase will be compensated.
Ex Cops applauded McDonald's for its decision saying, "We are thrilled that our letter made a difference. Thank you for helping us. Artists should be paid for their work."
The South Congress H-E-B is finally ready for customers.
Photo courtesy of H-E-B