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Katrina Newsome
ENG 2020
09-22-10
McDonalds and the Black Community
When somebody says fast food, for most people, the first thing that comes
to mind is McDonalds. This is not only because they are pioneers in the fast food
industry but also because of their great advertising and their ability to reach their
target audience. It is very evident that the majority of McDonalds target audience
is African Americans. McDonalds uses famous African Americans in their ads,
airs their commercials mostly on African American channels, and shows ads
where the cast is mostly composed of African Americans all to hook young black
viewers. They have become so successful with their selective advertising that we
don't even know they are doing it.
Americans as a whole are in love with sports and the people that play
them. Athletes are not just people whose job it is to play their sport, but are
celebrities and role models to the masses. Our nations most popular and
influential sports are Basketball and Football. It is no coincidence that the
majority of NBA players and NFL players are African American. Young black
males especially look up to these athletes and love to mimic their every move,
from what they wear, to how they play, even to what they consume. It is no
surprise that McDonalds uses these athletes as tools to manipulate the African
American youth to purchase their product. In the 1993 McDonald ad “The
showdown”, Larry bird and Michael Jordan have a dispute over a bag of
McDonalds. They decide to settle things by having a shoot out to see who gets to
eat the McDonalds. This Commercial was a huge success. Although the only
thing “McDonalds” you see in this ad is the bag of food, the athletes are what
sold it. This commercial was such a huge hit, that it was re-made. In the 2010
version of “The showdown”, NBA stars LeBron James and Dwight Howard fight
over the bag of McDonalds and proceed to have a dunk contest to decide who
gets to eat it.
Like athletes, musicians play a huge role in advertisements. The influence
that rappers and R&B singers have in the African American community is vast.
These people too serve as celebrities and role models. McDonalds realizes this
and utilizes the talents of these musicians to sell their product. In 2009, the
famous artist Dwele made a song about the McCafe. In the commercial it had a
room full of black people drinking McCafe’s while listening to Dwele sing about
the chocolaty coffee beverage. It is no surprise that shortly after this commercial
aired that sales for the McCafe went through the roof. I would not be in the least
bit surprised if the African American community was to blame for that.
The most common and popular form of advertisement is the commercial.
This is mainly because of America’s love of the Television. McDonalds knows
this so they don't hesitate to come up with commercial after commercial to hook
its viewers. They have managed to target the black audience by airing their
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commercials right before and after black television shows. The television
network Black Entertainment Television or (BET) is the perfect example. A
McDonalds commercial can be seen after every show. They know that their
audience is predominantly black so they exploit that by focusing most of their
airtime on that station. I find it a little bit disturbing because every time I happen
to be on that channel and a commercial comes on, 8 times out of 10 it is a
McDonalds ad. It brings up a larger issue at hand. African Americans are sadly
notorious for having health issues especially obesity. So the fact that McDonalds
targets through their favorite television shows is concerning.
When we watch commercials on television, we naturally look for
connections and things that we can relate to. This is a common human trait.
Something that you notice in these McDonald commercials is that they are filled
with African Americans. You see them sitting inside the McDonalds building,
serving the food across the counter, or on their way to get the McDonalds. This
makes the African Americans that are watching the commercial feel comfortable
with the product that is being promoted and make them more likely to purchase it
or at least take a second look at it. It is a simple Marketing strategy that is used.
I have to say; it is a very affective one to. As a Black male, when I am watching a
commercial and I see all Caucasian people, a little part of me is turned off by the
product because I just don't feel that the product is for me. Although not all of
their commercials are filled with black people, McDonalds makes sure that the
ones that air during the shows African Americans watch are jam packed with
them.
McDonalds uses famous African Americans in their ads, airs their
commercials mostly on African American channels, and shows ads where the
cast is mostly composed of African Americans all to hook young black viewers.
One of their slogans reads “McDonalds celebrating 365 days of blackness”.
McDonalds structures their ads to appeal to the ethos of its African American
viewers. They want the Black community to not only feel comfortable but also
feel like they need their food to survive. It is evident that African Americans have
been caught in the crosshairs of McDonalds advertising rifle. I just hope that the
black community can dodge the McBullets that are constantly being fired at them.