McDonald’s reprimanded by Ad Code Authority
The more you know, the better you eat, is the pay-off of this commercial made by TBWA\Neboko. It explains that McDonald’s burgers are made out of 100% beef – and not out of 10% kangaroo. What’s more, only the best part of the cow is being used! The Stichting Reclame Code (Dutch Advertising Code Authority) has judged this commercial misleading. De NGO Wakker Dier (Animal Alert) submitted a complaint that the commercial suggests that only free range cows are ‘used’. And according to Wakker Dier the fast food chain has never negotiated the conditions in which the cows have lived with the meat suppliers. According to a Mc Donald’s spokesperson, the company never wanted to give the impression that it’s talking about a 100% free range guarantee. Though we question the credibility of the whole ad, we think McDonald’s has a point here; it’s advertising, dummy!
Update: Michael van Os (the former chief editor of Adformatie) kindly informed us that Wakker Dier’s spokesman Sjoerd van de Wouw told him today that the film shown here is NOT the one against which their complaint was lodged. In a previous version the voice-over said the McDonald’s cows were allowed to graze outside. So there’s nothing wrong with this version – from an Advertising Code perspective, that is.
Source: Adformatie
McDonalds has a point? Ok, you’ve lost me… Explain?
Advertising is known for exaggerating. This case sounds a bit like this guy in India who took Unilever to court, because he was using Axe (Lynx) for years and still hadn’t found his wife; the promised Axe effect didn’t work. Since McDonald’s is not explicitly talking about the grazing conditions of its cows, we think that the average consumer should be smart enough to realize that McDonald’s is not showing the exact truth. This opinion is reinforced by the no to serious tone of voice and look and feel of the commercial. But hey, if you don’t get our point, the Dutch Advertising Code Authority judged it misleading, so you are in good company!
@ admin: You could also say that the tone of voice is trying to show the better side of McDonald’s (100% beef, best part of the cow). Therefore, the meadow will be more easily interpreted by the “average consumer” as the truth.
Right.. So It’s OK to lie, as long as it’s an rediculously obvious lie?
@Hert
Good advertising tells the exaggerated truth. Lying is more or less telling the opposite of the truth, which is never a good idea. In our opinion obvious exaggeration is ok. In fact, almost all commercials that are appreciated by the consumer, are obvious exaggerations.
Hmmm ok, sure I get that.. but I do feel a bit sorry for the people who had to create this.
McCann Erickson says: ”The truth well told.”
This is a bit too well told, though not a lie. If they add one word to the voice-over text everything will be okay.
@ Michael
And what would that word be? (I cannot understand the voice over)
@e-Claire: On second thought, too complicated to add nuance in here in just a few words, sorry about that.
Dear me, we have been commenting on the wrong commercial…. Wakker Dier’s spokesman Sjoerd van de Wouw reacted on my blog today that the film shown on my blog (and here) is NOT the one against which their complaint was lodged. That one has already been withdrawn everywhere by McDonald’s and apparently suggested in the voiceover that its cows all graze in meadows (in this one about 100 pct beef only the visual suggested that)… The Dutch Advertising Watchdog’s verdict can be found here (in Dutch though):
http://www.wakkerdier.nl/docs/RCC-uitspraak-Wakker-Dier-vs-McDonalds.pdf