A few months ago, the following advertisement premiered in France. Despite the fact that the ad did not run in America, it became a topic of conversation among American conservative pundits and people who found the ad to be perplexing. After all, what does McDonald's have to do with sexual orientation? In this ad, McDonald’s attempts to use framing to shape the viewer’s perception of McDonald’s as a safe and inviting place.
The advertisement's storyline is simple enough. A young man chats on the phone in a hushed voice in a McDonald's restaurant. It is apparent that he is speaking to his (male) sweetheart. He quickly gets off the phone when his dad sits down at their table. The father remarks that it is too bad for his son that he goes to an all-boys school. If he did not, he would certainly be a lady-killer like his dad was during his high school years. Obviously, he is oblivious to the reality of his son's life. The commercial ends with the words "come as you are" written in French across the screen before the McDonald's sign appears.
The commercial was subject to much ridicule, but the commericial itself is an attempt at framing. Framing describes the phonemenon of how media tells you how to think about their subject, whether it be a product, restaurant, person, or any number of things. For example, word choice in an article about Sarah Palin could describe her as 'fearless' and 'independent'. That media outlet employs framing to get the reader to see her in a positive light. Another media outlet could use the words 'unpredictable' and 'ignorant' to portray her in a negative light. Here, the commercial tried to get the audience to view McDonald's in a new way. They wanted their audience to think of McDonald's as a welcoming place where they would not be judged and could be themselves. The boy's private life is of no concern the people at McDonald's. Whatever he does, he is still welcome to come and buy their food. Part of the resistance to this advertisement comes from the fact that the attempt at framing was so apparent. Since the storyline has so little to do with the product, it is clear that the commerical was not about selling food, but getting the audience to see McDonald's in new way.
The advertisement originally came to my attention through Jezebel.com. Their original post about it can be found here.
This link is an example of the debate stirred by the advertisement. In it, Ed Schultz chastises Bill O'Reilly for his comments on the commercial.
Good job, keep it up.
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