Everyone Is Talking About This Supposedly Heartwarming McDonald's Commercial
McDonald's newest television ad, straight out of its brand image revival playbook was meant to bring a tear to our eye, but ended up causing a lot of eye-rolling instead. The commercial, dubbed "Signs" which premiered during an NFL playoff game this Sunday and was also broadcasted during the Golden Globes, features a montage of those ubiquitous changeable letter signs (some have old fashioned block letters, others are the more modern scrolling LED types) under the golden arches, that offer words of encouragement and support ("Boston Strong" and "We Remember 9/11") set to a choral version of Fun's "Carry On."
The commercial was clearly supposed to stir our hearts, and imbue McDonald's with the power to comfort. But, as it turns out, not many people were "lovin' it." The commercial provoked more than a few snarky remarks.
Maybe instead of making that horrifyingly cynical #GoldenGlobes commercial, McDonald's could pay employees a living wage? #ImNotLovingIt
— Eugene Mirman (@EugeneMirman) January 12, 2015
McDonald's you are shameless. This commercial is selling Big Macs on the backs of tragedies. I really wish companies would stop that.
— Dan Slott (@DanSlott) January 12, 2015
That new McDonald's commercial is heartwarming, has me in tears all the way to Chipotle.
— Zach Strauss (@Z_Strauss) January 12, 2015
McDonald's has explained that the point of the commercial was to "continue to tell the story of McDonald's that it plays a role in the communities we serve," Joel Yashinsky, U.S. vice president of marketing told Ad Age. McDonald's has confirmed that they will be running an ad during the Super Bowl along the same vein of this image revamp.