The McDonald’s Parody Ad That Likened Loving Big Macs to Suffering from Depression
Tell me about the first time you ever went to McDonald’s. Do you remember who was there with you? Do you remember how it made you feel?
According to at least one McDonald’s ad which recently ran in Boston, the answer for some people is probably “f*cking depressed.” The ad featured a distressed woman covering her eyes, along with the copy “You Are Not Alone: Millions of People Love the Big Mac,” and likened the love of the iconic fast food burger to a kind of addiction, encouraging people to call the McDonald’s corporate hotline for help.
Of course, except for anyone who actually does suffer from a debilitating fast food addiction, loving a Big Mac is nothing like having a mental health problem (ahem), which has led the corporation to distance itself from the ad and ask that it be taken down.
“In a statement to Time magazine, Nicole DiNoia, a McDonald’s rep for the Boston area, says the ad was ‘not approved by McDonald’s’ … She adds: ‘We have an approval process in place with our marketing and advertising agencies to ensure that all advertising content is consistent with our brand values. Regrettably, in this incident, that process was not followed. We sincerely apologize for this error.’
In all likelihood, McDonald’s probably did approve the ad only to receive considerable backlash from mental health advocates, after which it decided to throw its design agency under the bus. Or everyone who saw the ad called in to complain about its implications. “Yes I love Big Macs, but I don’t appreciate you suggesting I have a problem. I can stop whenever I want!”
H/T + Picthx Adweek
