Burgers and Gays

France has long been a testing ground for mass marketers in the United States because of its more manageable size and due to its higher demographic diversity. This week, McDonald's launched a television spot targeting the large segment of LGBT consumers. What is now known as "The McDonald's Gay Ad" is a trial balloon to see if a similar campaign in the U.S. is possible.



The commercial is a little depressing. There are no burgers or shakes to be seen, the music is weepy, and the whole thing conjures up a very uncomfortable association for LGBT people – the time immediately before we come out to our parents. For many LGBT people, this is the most painful time in life. Why would McDonalds choose to highlight this period to build rapport with a new segment?

Bill O'Reilly weighed in with his two cents in his predictable bombastic fashion. In the same breath he compared gay people to Al Qaeda he predicted, "I guarantee you that will not run here." Bigotry aside, a boycott is not something McDonald's hopes to inspire with their ads. There must have been countless marketing execs involved in creating the spot: weighing in, poring over brand message and images and ultimately watering down the ad's impact.  The company took obvious pains to only imply homosexuality – the young man at the center of the ad is on the phone with his sweetie and the raciest thing he says is "I miss you too." Pretty tame stuff.

One melancholy ad does not a test make – especially for the world's largest burger shack. Hopefully, McDonald's will try out several different versions before deciding on a go or no-go to the U.S. My advice?  Next time, try something a little more peppy.