McDonald's New Marketing Campaign Aims to Make its Food Look 'Ugly'
Fast-food chains are notorious for using tools like glue and blowtorches to make food appear perfect in ads.
But McDonald's is now trying a different tactic: It's embracing messy, imperfect ingredients.
The company posted a new video ad Tuesday showing an egg cracking over a hot griddle, with the yolk streaming out of the egg ring.
Time to rise and sizzle. Click for the full eggsperience. #whatsforbreakfast #egg #mcdonalds #eggmcmuffin pic.twitter.com/Ef0QJPap7C
— McDonald's (@McDonalds) February 23, 2016
Another recent ad shows a sausage-and-egg McMuffin dropping onto a table, with crumbs flying everywhere.
Snoozeproof ? #livingthedream pic.twitter.com/iFKsEvE2K3
— McDonald's (@McDonalds) February 11, 2016
The ads are among the most recent in a series of similar videos posted over the past couple of weeks showing food at McDonald's being cooked and prepared.
Other videos show bacon sizzling and butter melting into a McMuffin.
Real butter means: #LYMI ? #mcmuffin #love #valentine pic.twitter.com/oofxNvtZFr
— McDonald's (@McDonalds) February 14, 2016
The advertising firm JWT predicted in 2014 that food advertising would take a turn for the "ugly."
"Imperfection and even outright ugliness -- the quirky, the messy, and the flawed -- are taking on new appeal in a world that's become neatly polished and curated," the firm said in a report.
The intimate shots of McDonald's food being prepared are most likely intended to fight the perceptions that the chain's food is overly processed or that it is not freshly prepared.
The company has battled rumors over the past couple of years that it uses "pink slime" in its beef and questions about why its food doesn't rot.
The videos give consumers a behind-the-scenes look at the real (and not always perfect) ingredients behind some of the most popular items on the McDonald's menu.
So far, the advertising is getting a positive reaction from consumers.
@McDonalds is truly bae
— Jonathan Hidalgo (@JonathanHidalgo) February 14, 2016
@McDonalds I'm loving this today...
— Debra Reeves (@reeves5150) February 14, 2016
@McDonalds enough my heart cant take this
— Kelly (@sweetassgrande) February 23, 2016
@McDonalds your always there when I need you.luv it.
— Debra Reeves (@reeves5150) February 11, 2016
@McDonalds @dick_nixon_ I'm hungry for this..
— sonya narramore (@sproud5) February 11, 2016