Brand History
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1940 – McDonald’s Bar-B-Que opens in San Berdardino, California
1948 – McDonald’s was reopened with a reduced, nine-item menu
1954 – Businessman Ray Kroc expressed interest in expanding the business
1958 – McDonald’s sells its 100 millionth burger, after only a decade of operation
1961 – New McDonald’s logo introduced, inspired by the red and white of the buildings
1962 – First indoor seating in Denver, Colorado gives customers the opportunity to ‘dine-in’
1963 – The 500th McDonald’s restaurant was opened in Toledo, Ohio
1966 – First McDonald’s commercial, featuring Ronald McDonald, was released
1967 – McDonald’s becomes an international company, with stores opened in Canada and Puerto Rico
1968 - McDonald’s began supporting Olympians by airlifting burgers to where they were competing. The
1,000th restaurant was opened in Des Plaines, Illinois. The new McDonald’s building design is introduced to
replace the old red and white buildings.
1969 – The now-famous Golden Arches received massive emphasis, and all old red and white buildings
were replaced
1000th McDonald’s store, Des Plaines,
Illinois
First McDonald’s
Logo
McDonald’s accredited founder:
Ray Kroc
Brand History
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1971 – The ‘McDonald’s Gang’ was created
1974 – The first Ronald McDonald House was opened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1975 – The first McDonald’s drive-thru is made to accommodate the soldiers in Sierra Vista, Arizona
1978 – 5000th restaurant is opened in Japan
1979 – Happy Meals make their debut
1983 – By this time, McDonald’s were now found in 32 countries worldwide
1990 – Ray Kroc is named one of the ‘100 most important Americans of the 21st century’
1996 – McDonalds.com is launched
2003 – The ‘I’m Lovin’ It’ ad campaign is launched in Munich, Germany
2006 – Nutritional information is added to packaging
2008 – McDonald’s instigates a global packaging redesign
2009 – McCafe goes international
2010 – McDonald’s customers are offered free Wi-Fi in-store in the USA. The 300th Ronald McDonald
House is opened in St Louis, Missouri
Star Trek themed Happy Meal
McDonald’s ‘McCafe’ coffee
St Louis RMH
Original Market
•
•
•
•
•
The first McDonald’s was in San Bernardino, California, on Route 66. This location
attracted tourists and was an alleged hang out area for local teenagers old
enough to drive
The McDonald’s of the ‘40s and ’50s catered to the growing number of civilians
with cars by making their restaurants ‘self-serve’ and employing carhops to bring
out the customers’ food
Main drawing card of McDonald’s was the fast and efficient service (the use of
‘Speedee’ as a mascot, uncomfortable indoor seating, if any, to force customers to
move on quickly)
In the early years of McDonald’s, business owners realised the use of carhops
were limiting the diversity of their customers to teenagers and young adults who
were more interested in flirting with the waitresses than buying food
Once the carhops were removed from the service, McDonald’s was able to pursue
its ideal target market: suburban families
Market Change
•
•
•
•
•
1966 saw Ronald McDonald become the new
McDonald’s mascot, further increasing the brand’s
appeal to children
The introduction of dining zones in about 2005 in
restaurants allowed customers to stay longer if they
wish and the offer of free Wi Fi in 2010 gave people
further reason to choose McDonald’s, and proved the
companies adaptability to changing times
McDonald’s started to introduce packaging with
nutritional information in 2005 as a result of the
increasing public concern for the health of the food
available and the 2004 movie ‘Super Size Me’ which
exposed the health risks of consuming McDonald’s
food
McCafe’s became wide-spread in 2009, drawing in even
more customers
McDonald’s now caters to all cultural groups (Kosher
McDonald’s in Jerusalem, Halal menus in Arab
countries, ‘Maharaja Mac’ in India made with lamb or
chicken to comply with religious beliefs)
1980’s
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Presents McDonald’s as a healthy and delicious meal that uses only ‘top-quality, real,
locally produced ingredients’
Highly informative logical appeal, hints that these meals have been approved by the
Commonwealth Department of Health (when in fact the ingredients listed only form the
basis of essential food groups when consumed individually)
Attempts to remove any doubt in consumers minds about the healthiness of the meals,
and therefore remove the guilt associated with buying and consuming McDonald’s (uses
words like ‘real, 100%, locally-grown’)
Attention grabbing title (large white lettering on a black background) Use of rhyming
(Wholesome, have some) makes the ad memorable and likely to be repeated
Includes images of most of the raw ingredients that enhance the illusion of healthiness
The burger shown on this ad is perfectly composed and hyper-real, heightens consumer
expectations and enhances desire to purchase the product
This particular ad would not be very effective in today’s society, because people are now
aware of how unhealthy McDonald’s is, and the fact that consumers just don’t seem to
respond positively to logical appeals any more
2003 - I’m Lovin’ It
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI-xHMM8wXE
Adapted to the teenage demographic by incorporating elements of pop culture (the
recruitment of Justin Timberlake, one of the most popular singers of the time, to sing
for the campaign and his brief appearance in the ad, used actors who would
stereotypically represent all different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds)
Video montage of primarily teenagers and young adults engaging in ‘cool’ and fun
activities, often including food available at McDonald’s (this gives audiences the
impression that McDonald’s can be associated with their daily lives)
Upbeat, catchy tune and lyrics guarantee memorability and its subsequent reuse in
future campaigns (the tagline ‘I’m Lovin’ It’ is still used at the end of most modernday McDonald’s advertising campaigns)
Employs product placement techniques in almost every scene (many actors are eating
McDonald’s food, occasional flashes of red and yellow on actors clothes, in the
background etcetera)
The campaign was conceived by a German-based
McDonald’s advertising agency Heye & Partner,
which is a member of DDB Worldwide
Communications Group, Inc
Created in response to claims that McDonald’s
was losing its relevance in modern society
2003 – Premium Salads
•
•
•
•
•
•
This product was created in response to the changing consumer demands for
healthier meal options at McDonald’s
Newman’s Own low-fat sauces (popular celebrity at the time)
Green background makes the products seem more healthy and organic, entices
the more health-conscious to eat at McDonald’s
At first, it is not clear that it is a McDonald’s ad, as it lacks the attention-grabbing
and garish red and yellow that the brand is famous for. It is comparatively subtle
and aesthetically pleasing (however, it does still include subtle reds)
Carefully cooked, arranged and presented to be
as appealing as possible and to create a desire
within consumers for the product
Logical informative appeal, more writing
than usual for modern advertisements
Targeting Children
• Ronald McDonald was introduced as a mascot in 1966, making
McDonalds a more appealing place for children
• 1971 saw the introduction of the ‘McDonalds Gang’ (Ronald McDonald,
Grimace, Hamburgler, Birdie and various others)
• In 1979, Robert Berstien invented the concept of the Happy Meal. The
inclusion of a ‘surprise toy’ and the colourful, fun packaging encouraged
likelihood of children using the ‘nag factor’
• McDonald’s began releasing movie-themed toys with their Happy Meals
• The placement of a playground at every McDonald’s store is another
enticement for children
• Most McDonald’s restaurants include a party room, which gives children
the option to have a birthday party at McDonald’s
Ronald McDonald
•
•
•
•
•
According to one survey, 96% of all school kids in the United States of America
recognise Ronald McDonald
Several direct-to-video movies were released during 1998 to 2003 and featured
Ronald McDonald and the ‘McDonald’s Gang’
As McDonalds expanded internationally, Ronald McDonald was altered to fit into
the different cultures and societies.
In Japan, he is called ‘Donald McDonald’, because Japanese have difficulty
producing a plain ‘r’ sound
The Thailand Ronald McDonald statue outside stores greets guests with the
traditional Thai ‘wai’ gesture, instead of the Western ‘wave’ greeting or the
statue posing happily on a bench
Targeting Adults
• Shown as an affordable and fast meal alternative
• Recent introductions of ‘healthier’ options and McCafe’s around
the world appeal to older audiences
• McDonald’s restaurants that include McCafe’s appear to offer a
child and parent friendly environment
• Drive-thru coffees, breakfast menus and 24-hour service provide
for travellers, business people and shift workers
Sophisticated lettering adds class and appeals
to older audiences, dark, rich colours
Use of the colour green which is generally
associated with health
Ronald McDonald House Charity
• The first RMH was opened in 1974 in Philadelphia
• RMHC donation boxes are located in every store
• Provides a place for families to stay while
their sick children are receiving hospital
care
Future Trends
• McDonald’s has proven itself to be a highly versatile and its high success
is a direct product of the company’s ability to change and grow with its
customers, so it is highly likely to remain in business for the next 20
years at least
• Ronald McDonald will eventually be phased out completely and replaced
by a more modern mascot that appeals to today’s children
• McDonald’s may revert to its original focus point of providing ‘fast and
efficient’ service of the 40’s and 50’s stores (purely drive-in/thru to adapt
to the busy modern lifestyle)
• Focus may shift to increasing the sentimentality in older generations
(Fast Food Generation) of dining at McDonald’s
McDonald’s locations
in the USA
Bibliography
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/our_company/mcdonalds_history_timelin
e.html?DCSext.destination=http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/our_co
mpany/mcd_history.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_McDonald
http://mcdonalds.com.au/about-us/our-story
http://www.happymeal.com/en_US/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_McDonald's
http://www.franchisedirect.com/foodfranchises/themarketinggeniusbehind
mcdonaldsfranchisesuccess/14/25
http://yasaminsamiei.wordpress.com/2011/01/27/pg02-4-mcdonaldsadvertising-journey
http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM420D_The_Original_McDonal
ds
http://www.junkfoodnews.net/justintimberlake.htm