My Top 10 Bizarre McDonald’s Branding and Advertising Moves
samcglynn January 31, 2012
Courtesy of Marissa Brassfield at foodista.com
Number 1 : These bizarre McDonald’s branding decisions prove that the Golden Arches is prone to a few PR misfires, creative collaborations and misguided company choices. From axed advertisements to clever cross-branding campaigns, this collection has it all. Click through the pages below to see them for yourself.
Number 2:
In an attempt to keep its dine-in customers programmed properly, McDonald’s introduced its new TV network. Its programming will target local communities and feature rotating entertainment pods.
Number 3: McDonald’s China raised eyebrows with its Man Day promotion, which gave male customers half off their second burger on Wednesdays. The campaign celebrates McDonald’s introducing 100 percent real beef into its burgers.
Number 4: Chef Gualtiero Marchesi has three Michelin stars under his belt, and McDonald’s recruited him to create a tiramisu dessert and two gourmet hamburgers for a seasonal promotion at McDonald’s locations in Italy. One featured sweet-and-sour eggplant strips and salted ricotts, while the other contained bacon and salted spinach.
Number 5: McDonald’s is preparing for the 2012 Olympics with a super-sized London location. The 32,000-square-foot restaurant can seat 1,500 and will be the corporation’s largest store yet.
Number 6: This McDonald’s Japan ad features kids going bananas over the SpongeBob SquarePants toys distributed with the kids’ meals. The video clip went viral, albeit for the wrong reasons.
Number 7: To promote its McCafe Strawberry Lemonade, McDonald’s called on “The Sopranos” actor Steve Schirripa to voice a talking lemon.
Number 8: About 1,400 McDonald’s Canada restaurants are getting a makeover that’ll cost the fast-food giant $1 billion dollars. The lucky locations will get leather seats, fireplaces and plasma TVs.
Number 9: McDonald’s angered New York City residents with a train ad that, according to some, insinuated that no one would want to go to Rockaway. The ad was pulled immediately, and McDonald’s issued hasty apologies.
Number 10: The new McDonald’s Happy Box promotion in the U.K. boasts that the kids’ meals are the ultimate source of happiness.
