McDonald’s apology following “disgusting” TV advert after receiving complaints
The fast food giant McDonald’s has apologised after people came to the conclusion that its latest advert “exploits childhood bereavement”, according to the Independent.
In the advert, a boy asks his mother questions about his dead father while trying to find things he has in common with him. When they arrive at a McDonald’s restaurant and the boy orders a Filet-o-Fish Burger, his mother tells him that it was his dad’s favourite burger as well.
Viewers took to Twitter to complain. They said that using death as a tactic to sell burgers was “disgusting” and “offensive”. Some of the complaints can be seen bellow:
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I lost my father when I was a child and I find the latest McDonald's advert disgusting and offensive. Shame on you! #mcdonalds #badtaste
— The Midgers (@midgersbtfc06) May 14, 2017
Not one to be easily offended, but new @McDonalds advert is cynical exploitation of a deeply emotional situation for brand promotion #LowAct
— Scott Manson (@Chimp_83) May 15, 2017
I genuinely don't think I've ever seen anything as cynical and exploitative as the new @McDonalds advert. Shameless, even by their standards
— Jack Alex Turner (@JackAlexTurner) May 12, 2017
A McDonald’s spokesperson told the Independent: “We wanted to highlight the role McDonald’s has played in our customers’ everyday lives – both in good and difficult times.
“We apologise for any upset this advert has caused. This was by no means an intention of ours.”
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said that it had received complaints regarding the advert’s inappropriate nature, especially in proximity to Father’s Day.
An ASA spokesperson said: “We’re carefully assessing the complaints but no decision has been reached on whether there are grounds to launch an investigation.”
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