McDonald’s is the largest provider of food services worldwide. It is one of the well-known and reputable companies in the world, with a multi-level marketing campaign, a global infrastructure, and competence in restaurants, among many other fields. McDonald’s has transformed the food sector over time, which has had an impact on the lives of those who create and consume food. The presented two sets of ads, Ronald McBaby, and Our New Food Group, present the different types of consumer attraction. McBaby depicts Mcdonald’s icon, Ronald McDonald as a child, indicating the opening of a new branch (Ronald McBaby). Salat aimed at promoting the commitment of the company to health products, depicting fresh vegetables, and providing information about the chain’s salad options (Our New Food Group). The advertisement of the salad, overall, does a better job of persuading the customer due to its straightforward message and bright imagery.
Color is crucial in advertisements since it directly affects consumer perception and influences behavior. In the McBaby ad, the color usage was chosen to be in pastel tones, indicating the birth of something new, in this case, the new restaurant (Ronald McBaby). These tones are usually attributed to feelings of safety, comfort, and dedication (Kanter et al. 1406). The baby depicted in the picture stresses the fact that the restaurant is suitable for everyone, regardless of their age. However, there is no developed color usage in the advertisement.
The salad advertisement, on the contrary, uses a number of different bright colors. The pictures of each vegetable are detailed and full of colors. The use of different colors in advertising usually takes the attention of the consumer, and it is believed that a vast palette influences him in a more direct way (Kanter et al. 1403). The catchy images and smart use of color attempt to show the freshness of the company’s production.
The logos element of both advertisements is contrasting, despite its importance in shaping the customer’s behavior. The McBaby advertisement barely makes use of logos, limited only to minor information that a new restaurant is opened. Any logic or reasoning behind the fact, for example, why this restaurant can be regarded as exceptional, is omitted. The salad ad, on the contrary, provides extensive information about the content of the advertisement, making full use of logos (Our New Food Group). The descriptive component, in this case, becomes crucial since it lays down the convincing reasoning for why this product is valuable (Hamzah et al. 241). This, in turn, puts the salad ad in a winning situation, enhancing its capabilities in terms of shaping customers’ minds.
Ethos, another key component behind advertising, also can be seen here, despite different manifestations. Essentially, ethos represents the connection of the product with a particular spirit or culture (Hamzah et al. 234). The McBaby advertisement attempts to use celebrity influence, putting forth the most famous symbol of Mcdonald’s – Ronald McDonald. Disguised as a baby, the ad attempts to convince that the idea and the quality of McDonalds’s are the same in this branch. The salad ad emphasizes the spirit and the culture of healthy food, which became prevalent for several decades. Despite being known for its burgers, Mcdonald’s attempts to show its other side – healthy options and nutrition products for everyone.
Overall, both of these ads can be considered an adequate representation of Mcdonald’s advertisements. They both use influential approaches to shape customer behavior, albeit in different ways. However, the salat advertisement is more solid in its message, as well as generally more appealing. The McBaby ad could have been improved by adding a more substantial logos component, while Our New Food Group advertisement would have benefited from celebrity endorsement.
Works Cited
Hamzah, Intan Fitri Aisyah, Naqibah Izzati Mohammad Johan, and Noor Hanim Rahmat. “Ethos, Pathos, Logos: The Versatility of a hijab video advertisement.” European Journal of Literature, Language and Linguistics Studies, vol. 3, no. 3, 2019, pp. 215-241. Web.
Kanter, Rebecca, Lana Vanderlee, and Stefanie Vandevijvere. “Front-of-package nutrition labeling policy: global progress and future directions.” Public Health Nutrition, vol. 21, no. 8, 2018, pp. 1399-1408. Web.
Our New Food Group. McDonald’s. Web.
Ronald McBaby. McDonald’s. Web.