French fries, plastic, politics? Eighty Years of McDonald’s! A Company learns to show Attitude

Make yourself comfortable in retirement, retire and enjoy your twilight years: Anyone celebrating their 80th birthday can sit back and look back on a full life with all its ups and downs. McDonald’s is a company that has seen trends come and go and now has 80 years of experience in flipping burgers and frying fries. We grew up with the fast food giant, celebrated our birthdays with it and spent many afternoons there after school. Despite its considerable age, the company is anything but outdated. Like many companies, it had to move with the times and adapt to the interests and goals of consumers. In recent months in particular, McDonald’s has taken a stance on issues that affect us all. We have taken a closer look at the attitude campaigns that the Group has launched in recent times.

McHive – The World’s smallest McDonald’s

What do honeybees and burgers have in common? Right, nothing! We can hardly imagine how the most successful and largest fast food company in the world would want to position itself as a protector of the environment and bees, especially when you look at the mountains of waste that are produced in restaurants every day. A look at Sweden shows us that there is another way. Designer Nicklas Nilsson has created a detailed McDonald’s branch in miniature – for bees. Franchisee Christina Richter installed the fast-food restaurant in miniature on the roof of her diner. The company adapted the idea and implemented it as McHive – The World’s smallest McDonald’s. More and more franchisees in Sweden are building a home for these important insects on their roofs. The campaign left a bitter aftertaste, as the company was accused of greenwashing. Justified or not – the campaign was certainly attention-grabbing.

“Share the Love” on National French Fry Day

It cannot be said that McDonald’s has stood out for its political stance in the past. On the contrary: productivity, fries and passivity are terms that we associate with McDonald’s. But nowadays, when people are taking to the streets for environmental protection and sustainability, McDonald’s cannot avoid being part of current debates. As part of National French Fry Day in the USA, McDonald’s launched a visually powerful campaign that didn’t need many words: “Share the Love”. US photographer Mark Seliger staged various pairs of hands on minimalist posters – two men, two women, a man and a woman, old and young, with different skin colors against a golden yellow background. Both hands are shaped like the familiar arches of the logo and reach together for a bag of fries. The campaign could be seen on outdoor advertising, on social media and on a billboard above the McDonald’s flagship restaurant.

#MehralseinHashtag

In Germany, too, the burger giant has recently taken a stance, for example with the #MehralseinHashtag campaign in collaboration. In the analog world, there are drawers. In the digital world and especially on social media, people use hashtags to label people based on characteristics. Employees talk about their workplace. In multifaceted stories, they describe their view of things and give the audience an unembellished insight into what it is like to be called a #burgerbrater or #refugee. In addition to the employees, prominent supporters could also be seen on digital billboards across Germany. The attention-grabbing and sometimes provocative messages came from Olivia Jones, for example, who has often faced discrimination. We learn from Hans Sarpei, former professional footballer, that he was often reduced to his skin color. Other celebrities such as disabled sportswoman Kirsten Bruhn and model Tommy Hey also have their say and talk about the clichés they have to deal with.

#weilichskann

For this year’s International Women’s Day on March 8, McDonald’s launched its year-round #weilichskann campaign, setting an example for equal rights in sport. More specifically, the Group supports young female athletes in streetball, skateboarding and gaming, who are still underrepresented in the professional world. A campaign film was launched for this purpose, which was shown on TV and in cinemas on International Women’s Day. This is accompanied by additional content on the company’s own social media channels. The commercial quotes a book from 1920, which contains rules of etiquette for young people and especially for women. On the other hand, young women can be seen playing streetball, skateboarding and gaming, confidently showing what they think of the outdated regulations – namely nothing at all. The plan is to organize a panel discussion on female empowerment at Glow by dm in Nuremberg, where well-known female influencers will have their say.

Conclusion: Staying passive was yesterday – McDonald’s gets involved

Not only since the Gillette commercial has the message for companies been: “Show attitude”. Old stereotypes, clichés and prejudices are now a thing of the past and customers increasingly expect brands to take a clear stance. In order to win over Generation Y and the next generation, it is important for companies to be part of the current debate, even if this can lead to emotional reactions. In its 80-year history, McDonald’s has experienced the zeitgeist of many movements and debates, but has taken little or no position on them. It is only in recent years that the fast food giant has increasingly launched campaigns to raise awareness. The company has understood how to reach its often younger target group with authenticity instead of empty marketing phrases. This is because the audience quickly realizes whether the values are only pretended or are actually lived in the company. If you want to find out more about the values of other companies, you can find the  heroic story of Haribo Germany here.