Be Afraid of Ronald?

The following is a guest post by The Angry Badger...

i think so. i really do. i think chiat's quirky new ronald campaign for mcdonald's where a statue of ronald on a park bench shows up in various settings should give ddb chicago and burnett a stripe in their shorts.

here's why: nothing. the spot says nothing. there's almost no "dialog" (i guess monologue would be more technically correct) in any of the dozen or so spots in this campaign (which has supplanted fallon's work as "strangest mcdonald's commercials ever"). i think this is wise. maybe even genius.

let's face it, mcdonald's has been the standard-bearer for saying too much about too little. for decades it has attempted to liken its combinations of bun, beef, and condiments to the erection of the egyptian pyramids. onions have been diced, slivered, and chopped. patties have been seasoned, salted, and sautéed in mcgoodness. who could forget ode to a grecian salad...

you know. i know. the billions and billions worldwide who've ever been to a mcdonald's know that the less said about the product the better. mcdonald's is cheap, tasty, and omnipresent. good night. like weekends in vegas and mix-tape collections, the less said about them the better.

that said, chiat's "silent ronald" is genius in that it doesn't insult us.

the particulars of mcdonald's may make us shutter, but the generalities conjure up something warm in even the hardest souls. that commercial makes me want to go to mcdonald's more than any commercial they've had in years. i don't go there for the specifics. i go there for the generalities. i don't care to know what's in the secret sauce, thank you.

both ddb and burnett really, really get the brand, so how chiat managed to extricate themselves from the ingredient shackles must be cause of great consternation. but they did. and now burnett and ddb must surely have supersized mcenvy. i called an old friend who worked on the arches in the past. "a poor approximation of the BK crazy king campaign," he said through clenched teeth. maybe so. it may not be the most original campaign going.

but it does do something this venerable brand hasn't done for some time, perhaps ever. by not insulting me, the brand draws me to it. precious few advertisers or advertising can say that.

i'm lovin' it. mcdonald's roster shops-- not so much.

Comments

[stinkeye]

totally agree with your points. given all the reporting and books about the corporation everyone knows too much about mcds already. it'll be interesting to hear how franchises feel about the work since they're truly the ones that push the big mac as god product shots.

awp - i think this guest blogger might need some more interweb time...

[American Copywriter]

Sometimes it really helps not be lost in the baggage of a brand.

[crazyvirgo]

where have you gone advertising without pity? come back to the blogosphere. don't deblog just yet. i know you've still got mroe to say!