In A McKitty Frenzy the ugly Singaporean is back - for a cuddly doll

AS apologies go, it was about as contrite as you can get. In full-page statements in Singapore newspapers, the McDonald's hamburger chain declared: "We recognize and accept that we have failed to meet everyone's expectations. We sincerely apologize and ask for your forgiveness for any inconvenience and disappointment this may have caused." That was for the Big Mac-munching public. For the forces of law and order and beyond, the fast-food people went on: "We wish to extend our sincere apologies and thanks to the Singapore Police Force, Ministry of the Environment, Singapore Civil Defense Force, and everyone who has been inconvenienced during this promotion."

What had McDonald's done? Organized a political demonstration without a license? Held a bubble-gum street party? No, it had failed to recognize the potency of a Singaporean phenomenon known as kiasu. Roughly translated, this uniquely local term means something like "a fear of missing out." And in the case of McDonald's, what tens of thousands of Singaporeans didn't want to miss out on was a chance to acquire a couple of cuddly toys at a discount.

McDonald's outlets around this normally well-ordered city state were besieged by crowds determined to get their hands on 22-cm-high versions of Hello Kitty and her similarly mouthless beau, Dear Daniel. The price for one: about $2.60, plus a burger meal. Just how much food finished up in the nearest garbage can is not known, but this waste was reportedly one of the factors that prompted McDonald's to re-think everything. By then, though, the public-relations damage - for Singapore and the food company - had already been done.

The promotion, which started on the first day of the year and was scheduled to run for six weeks with 12 different sets of the dolls, produced unprecedented scenes. At the height of the McFrenzy, 250,000 to 300,000 customers thronged McDonald's outlets, hoping to snatch up the highly elusive dolls once the doors opened. Thousands waited right through the night. Queue-jumpers brought chaos. Fights broke out. Glass doors were shattered.

The Singapore Civil Defense Force reported that on one night it received nine calls linked to fighting or people fainting. Six people were arrested and a policeman was injured. The mother of a man who appeared in court on a charge of disorderly behavior explained that he had queued for nearly 12 hours overnight, only to find the next morning that McDonald's staff opened another door and not the one he was waiting at. The court heard he was arrested after he refused to stop protesting.

A 21-year-old secretary related how she lined up for several hours, but became dispirited watching young girls argue furiously with elderly women over queue-jumping. She said she went home feeling faint. Her father scolded her for "being stupid enough to lose sleep over a toy." A 21-year-old administrative officer said that everything had gone well at the McDonald's she chose until 4:30 am, when a group of youths tried to break into the line to acquire coupons that McDonald's staff were handing out.

The scenes drew criticism at home and mockery abroad. A woman reported that her brother, studying in Scotland e-mailed her: "I hope none of you were at any of the McDonald's, queuing for those little cats. I'll disown any family member I find out did that. They reported it on the news here. Imagine how hard the DJs laughed." A 20-something expatriate working for a multinational shipping company in Singapore declared himself baffled: "If there's such a rush for a mere toy, what would happen in a real emergency - if food or water were being rationed. In Indonesia, the riot police are called out when people are killing each over ethnic and religious issues. Here it's over a toy."

Not everybody was driven by the Ugly Singaporean Syndrome. Grandparents lined up for hours to secure dolls for their grandchildren. Husbands grinned sheepishly as they exited McDonald's with a toy in their hands for the family. And, with Valentine's Day coming up, some young people obviously saw the dolls as perfect love gifts.

McDonald's seemed ready to take the blame. It acknowledged that the 2.4 million dolls it had prepared were not enough - thus stoking the frenzy. Accused by the Consumer Association of Singapore of being caught unawares and of reacting rather than taking positive action, the company announced it would be selling vouchers for versions of Kitty and Daniel in Chinese wedding outfits. These can be redeemed for as many dolls as members of the public want when stocks arrive in July. Embarrassed by the amount of food that was junked in the first weeks of the promotion, the company introduced a system where the cost of the meals could be paid to a charity. The benefit so far to worthy causes? About $37,000. And McDonald's? It has reportedly pocketed nearly $11.7 million.

• Published in the ASIAWEEK  February 18, 2000.