Week 4 EOC | McDonald's Response to Super Size Me

When Super Size Me first came out in 2004, people witnessed what the food from McDonald’s can do to a human body if one eats nothing but McDonald’s food for thirty days straight. The results were surprising and disturbing. Personally, when I saw the film, I swore off McDonald’s and thought who in their right mind would want to eat McDonald’s after seeing what it can do to your body. However, years after Super Size Me came out, McDonald’s still remains the top fast food restaurant in sales and continues to feed billions of people. Expectedly, McDonald’s took action and responded to the film to defend the company. First off, they printed an ad that stated: “If you haven't seen the film 'Super Size Me', here's what you're missing…hat we do agree with is its core argument -- that if you eat too much and do too little, it's bad for you” (Whitehead). They agreed with the message of the film; the message of the film was that if you eat too much fast food and don’t exercise regularly, there would be health consequences. This was smart of McDonald’s for doing this because it would be foolish to deny that their food isn’t good for you, when there is documented evidence in the film. With this ad, McDonald’s has “taken out full page ads in The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Scotsman and The Herald” to get their message across (Dams). On another note, a representative of McDonald’s also said, “the film is slick, well made and yes, somewhat annoyingly, doesn't portray McDonald's in the most favorable light. And yet what we do agree with is its core argument - that if you eat too much and do too little, it's bad for you. What we don't agree with is the idea that eating at McDonald's is bad for you” (Dams). Also, in response to the film, the fast food chain started to offer healthier food option on their menu, like salads, fruit-yogurt parfaits, and apple slices. They have also made it their mission to provide friendly and hospitable service to all their customers. They have made many improvements: “With their remodeled restaurants, additions to the menu and at least one nontraditional ally — mom bloggers — executives are trying to present a greener, more healthful McDonald’s. And in some ways the company is indeed changing” (O’Brien). All in all, McDonald’s have increased their standards in order to stay on top, regardless of a popular film.

 

Sources:

1.     Whitehead, Jennifer. "'Super Size Me' Prompts McDonald's Press Fightback." 'Super Size Me' Prompts McDonald's Press Fightback. N.p., 20 Aug. 2004. Web. 31 July 2013.

2.     Dams, Tim. "McDonald's Adds Heat to Super Size Me in UK." Screen International. Webvision, 23 Aug. 2004. Web. 31 July 2013.

3.     'Brien, Keith. "How McDonald’s Came Back Bigger Than Ever." The New York Times. The New York Times Comapny, 16 May 2013. Web. 31 July 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/06/magazine/how-mcdonalds-came-back-bigger-than-ever.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0>.