MAC's cow campaign

What follows is an Ad Review from Wouter Boon on a McDonald's Campaign and my response to it.

McDonald's Dutch Strategy: At Least We Don't Use Kangaroo Meat
Review: The Fast Feeder's New Campaign Awkwardly Touts Its Food's Quality
Posted by Wouter Boon on 08.20.09 @ 02:29 PM

Amsterdam agency TBWANeboko launched a McDonald's corporate campaign last month that clearly conveys a new strategic direction. The new pay-off translates as "The more you know, the better you eat." This phrase -- it rhymes in Dutch, but still feels somewhat contrived -- is based on the insight that the average consumer believes McDonald's serves food of poor quality. With this new strategy McDonald's wants to position itself as the honest and sensible fast-food chain.

It's not only all the bad publicity -- for a big part caused by the movie "Supersize Me" -- that made this new strategy necessary. McDonald's is simply following the health-conscious consumer. In itself an understandable move. After all, marketing is about adjusting your product (and communication) to the desires of your consumers. It's comparable to today's SUVs being advertised as "green."

(…)

So what I like about this campaign is that it makes a clear strategic choice. And it will thus probably give McDonald's a healthier image. However, if it continues into this direction, it might alienate the typical McDonald's family that goes there to score a happy meal and a toy that's made in China. At the same time, the more sensible, ingredient-conscious consumer to whom McDonald's seem to be talking will either never eat McDonald's -- because the brand is simply not in the evoked set -- or will get very irritated by the incredible message. And that would be a lose-lose situation.


Dear Walter,

I am banned to comment on AdAge. Too critical I guess.

None-the-less here's my take on your review:


Dear Walter,

This is smart advertising - branding and positioning, or at least that is what this crew must have thought. Albeit we have to talk about eatings cows and not that luscious Big Mac, but instead the eating of poor Bossy.

Perhaps they said too much, and made thousands of new vegetarians instead of MAC chompers.

Think about it, these guys do use the front part of the cow only because the other stuff makes the burger curl up. When we get into cow specifics one realizes they are not eating the package or the finished product but an animal that once breathed and if you believe animal rights groups, felt and thought too.

It's always best to stick with the end-product, not the blood and guts that go into it.

When I worked with dairies we talked about how happy our cows were, it is proven that happy non-stressed animals produce better milk for fluid, spreads, and cheese -- and their meat once they've done their milking duties.

Will MAC talk about it's happy cows next, and how they gladly give their lives for your meal enjoyment?

I once did a spot for Green Giant where I showed field workers picking vegetables at the "Peak of Perfection." Where a guy took a sample of veggies and measured the sugar levels to determine ripeness. My partner squashed it and exchanged it for "Picked at the peak of perfection, then flash frozen to preserve all of its natural goodness." He also killed all of the live shots in favor of animation of the Sprout, Giant and Valley People happily picking and harvesting veggies. He said bringing science into it, and then showing field workers with all of the negatives with migrant workers was nuts. Instead of hard science and a competitive difference, we get kids cartoons.

He was right of course. Women literally ate it up. That is what this spot is attempting. Sure it's true, but it lost its product focus. Saying only the finest prime beef, is enough. All efforts should be focused on what people buy, not the blood and cuts that goes into making it. That cute cow was killed to make that burger. McDonald's the cute "Cow Killers."

This is not food advertising, acceptable public relations, or anything that advances this company, it's brands and its products. It is cute but the underlying negative affects were not thought out. I'm Lovin' it .. not killin' it.

--
Daryl J. Orris, Ph.D.