How Is Nakedly Exploiting Tragedies in the Pursuit of Selling Disgusting Hamburgers

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/media/how-nakedly-exploiting-tragedies-pursuit-selling-disgusting-hamburgers

Well, that’s new – usually you have to wait till the Super Bowl for a major brand to roll out a new ad that’s brilliant or terrible, moving or exploitive, depending on who you ask. But this year, McDonald’s got a jump on the competition with a new, tragedy referencing spot called “Signs.”

The ad, which aired during the NFL playoffs and the Golden Globes, features a stirring children’s choir cover of Fun’s “Carry On,” and a montage of real messages from McDonald’s billboards across the country. There’s the simple “Thank you veterans.” The now classic “We remember 9/11? and “Boston strong.” There’s flood ravaged franchise with the message “We will be back,” and small town messages like “It’s a girl” and “Happy 95th birthday Woody, we love you.” There are plenty of mentions of God and miracles and prayer. Clearly aiming to put the love in “lovin’ it,” the ad ends with an invitation to read more about the stories behind the signs on McDonald’s Tumblr – including one clip that’s just shamelessly called “Disasters.” Not exactly a Happy Meal message, is it? More of a “We’re not evil! We swear!” thing.

The ad campaign is attention-getting, there’s no question of that. After it aired, social media quickly exploded with responses, many of them profoundly negative. Comic Eugene Mirman called it “horrifyingly cynical” and Mike Polk Jr. declared it “more tasteless than the McRib.” The Washington Post agreed, labeling the spot “tone deaf.” Taking issue with its implied “corporate kindness” it reminded, “It would take the average McDonald’s worker seven months to earn what the company’s chief executive earned in an hour in 2013.”

I admit I too responded to the ad with an eyeroll, and a resentment that I’ll now forever associate that Fun song with a jingle. But I am not the McDonald’s demo. I haven’t eaten their food since college. I live in a city, so if I want to meet a friend for coffee I can go to the café that’s on my corner. And my initial reaction is always going to be skepticism when I see an ad campaign aimed at pulling my heartstrings coming from a company that has in recent months been getting more attention for very different human interest stories — like fast food worker strikes and America’s, especially its children’s, increasing obesity epidemic. Sorry, but it’s tough to move me with a corporate monolith that sells a product I mostly associate with the question, “Whose lunch is stinking up this subway car?”

[Nuclear Unicorn]

1. Are they try to copy Waffle House?

Honest question.

Waffle House has gained a reputation for operating in disaster zones. They actually have teams that go in to restore operations so they locals, often without basic utilities, can get hot food (such as it is at Waffle House).

[GreatGazoo]

2. American Television is a medium that turns the suffering of others into entertainment.

The whole cable news thing is sickness. When these events happen -- Katrina, 9/11, etc -- the cable news stations make flashy graphics that say things like "Hurricane Horror!" They circle the suffering like vultures with cameras and feed the images to an anesthetized audience hungry for more sensationalism, their collective empathy beaten to a tiny pulp by years of such content.

In that kind of environment the McDonald's "Signs" ad doesn't stand out as anything unusual. If anything it says 'we suffered too.' We are becoming a nation of spectators. Everyone is encouraged to critique and second guess everyone else. The message "we are all in this mess together" is needed from time to time. If it comes in service of selling hamburgers so be it.

[Cosmic Kitten]

5. First paragraph makes sense...

the second paragraph seems like a McDonalds Public relations piece.

"we are NOT all in this mess together"...
The CEO and upper management, etc is NOT in this
with the average American or even their average worker.
It's blatant image management exploiting tragedy.

“It would take the average McDonald’s worker seven months to earn what the company’s chief executive earned in an hour in 2013.”

http://www.alternet.org/media/how-nakedly-exploiting-tragedies-pursuit-selling-disgusting-hamburgers

McD's could solve some of the problems, if not provide significant relief,
for some of our "shared tragedies", but they don't.
They could raise their wages to provide living wages, but they don't.
NO, "we" are not all in this together... McD's economic elite are insulated from "us"

[GreatGazoo]

8. If this ad is exploiting tragedy, what is Charlie Hedbo's run of 5 million copies ?

btw, hundreds of rich people died in the 9/11 attacks -- oil traders, hedge fund managers. They are mortal too.

[Cosmic Kitten]

10. Yes, natural disasters and terrism can impact anyone...

but after the fact, McD isn't making any real difference.
They are simply using proven advertising techniques
to raise sentimentalism and evoke shallow feelings of patriotism.

When McDs pays a living wage, they will get my attention.
Until then, NO.

As a former ad art director, they are jerking our chain.
It's pure public relations management in the wake of
the fast food worker strikes last year.

[FrodosPet]

3. Remember when McDonald's was fun? Now it's a guilt trip!

[FSogol]

4. How is what McD is doing any different than beer, car, truck, hardware, etc commercials?

[Cosmic Kitten]

11. It's all basically the same, except...

McD is exploiting tragedy.
Most advertising exploits emotions...
family, community, national pride etc.
It's all image management, aka propaganda.
Public relations is a form of propaganda.
(see also: Edward Bernays)

Ever wonder why a company such as say ADM
advertises when YOU or ME can't actually buy
any of their products?

Why does a company which doesn't sell to average
"consumers" advertise their products to the public?

[FSogol]

15. Every beer company and insurance company does the same thing.

I agree it is propaganda, but what McD is doing is no different. The commercial is tone deaf, but they really do not deserve any more criticism than any other advertising pulling that crap.

I live Northern VA, just south of DC. Our papers and airwaves are full of ads for Lockheed Martin, ADM, Boeing etc. While the individual consumer doesn't buy their products, there are enough people around who make decisions about buying their products for the commercial to be effective.

[Cosmic Kitten]

17. It is different is ONE way

Promoting nationalism through patriotic propaganda is one thing.

Promoting unhealthy food, sold by an unscrupulous company,
using personal tragedy is tasteless and borders on grotesque.
Evoking events of horror and sorrow to sell french fries IS different.

Any when did we all become so numb to media manipulations
and blatant propaganda that we excuse it as, meh?
The fact that we mindlessly accept such manipulation
is a sad state of affairs for our society.
Saying "everybody does it" is alarming!

It's a continual coarsening and numbing of the senses...
and people are embracing or excusing the "conditioning"
they and their children are exposed to everyday!?!

[FSogol]

20. You're letting your hatred of McD's cloud your vision. They've had patrotic

commercials before and everyone else is doing it. Don't like the commercials? Don't eat at McDs.

[Cosmic Kitten]

19. people who make decisions about buying their products....

It's not about advertising to the people you mention.

It's about editorial control.
When a paper, or broadcaster runs unfavorable media
the BIG advertiser threatens to pull their advertising dollars.

The advertising dollars are indirect "editorial control".
Will any newspaper run articles unfavorable to a million dollar
ad account if there is the possibility of losing that account?
NO!

[FSogol]

21. Yeah, good point. n/t

[pintobean]

22. They get free advertising here

and at alternet.

[FSogol]

23. Yup, the outrage will spread it farther for free. n/t

[Laxman]

6. I'm Glad It Just Wasn't Me....

that was offended by the commercials. I was watching the games with my boys and my son-God love him-made the very same observation. I have no problem with a local McDonald's franchise owner putting up a sign to help out local causes or bolstering the local community -that they are part of- in tough times. I have a huge problem with exploitation of suffering and tragedy for the soulless corporation to try and demonstrate they are sensitive to anything BUT profits. We all know they are not.

[1bigdude]

7. No problem whatsover with the ad. It does what a PR piece is supposed to do. NT

[Cosmic Kitten]

12. So you endorse corporate propaganda?

You're OK with a multi-billion dollar industry
distorting reality in order to manipulate
our perceptions of reality for the purpose
of making profits?

Even when those same corporations are wreaking
untold environmental destruction, and great human suffering?
You're OK with that? Deforesting the Amazon basin for hamburgers?

[oberliner]

9. "More tasteless than the McRib"

That's pretty good.

[Brickbat]

13. As I said on the other thread about this, the God stuff is tiresome, but as someone who lives in a

rural area, I find that the people who own the couple of franchises in town are some of the most supportive and helpful of local volunteer efforts -- including using their billboards to get the word out about things.

I don't see this ad as being any more cynical than any other ad. All ads are propaganda.

[dembotoz]

14. don't we have better things to do??????????????

yes go after papa johns with it crazy ownership
and yes go after Menards, hobby lobby, chick fila and walmart

with McDonalds
You may not like their food but at least their management is not OPENLY trying to fuck us over

go after those companies that are our enemies thru thought and deed.

sadly it is a target rich environment--make a better choice

[joeglow3]

16. I really feel sorry for how jaded people have become

Mcdonalds has a lot for us to be critical of. In a day when sex and violence rule television, movies and advertising, this message seems a like kinder. I think some people are just so pissed at the fast food industry, they will warp any message into something to be pissed about.

Sad when carls jr can exploit near naked ladies laying on a car to sell hamburgers and get not mention here while this commercial brings out the lynch mob the last few days. That alone tells me common sense went away on this issue.

[aikoaiko]

18. alternet has really been wackadoo lately.

The commercial is about franchise owners being connected to communities and local events which are sometimes tragedies.

[dembotoz]

24. i have raised 3 boys in suburban milwaukee and the local Mc Donalds has had a presence in every

damn fundraiser sporting event i have attended for going on 25 years.
Every damn one--standard thing a big cooler of orange drink. Not a huge donation but
NO OTHER company is this god forsaken burb comes even close.

They are always there. Is it a place i would want to spend my life...no
but they hired my kid when it seemed no one else would and he has learned a great deal

he is now employable.....

are they as good as costco????? no but they are a better company than most in this town.