Thursday 17 June 2010

McChange

Chances are there is a new dark ‘Hunter Green’ McDonalds near you by now. As a response to negative market research, critical city centre planning authorities, declining sales and fierce competition from the likes of Starbucks, the famous bright red frontage has been replaced by green in order to communicate to customers that McDonalds had changed some of its much publicised unethical ways. McDonalds appears now more of a restaurant than the petrol stations they frequently cohabit. The interiors too are less brash and feature modern art and subtle lighting showing that McDonalds understands the masses have become more discerning and sophisticated.

Delivering on the green promise includes a pledge that delivery vehicles run on recycled chip fat, packaging is recyclable and refrigerators run on non-ozone depleting refrigerants. To quote Jamie Oliver, gastro campaigner and entrepreneur ‘Being commercial and caring can work. Actually it’s the future’. Even Greenpeace have praised McDonalds for moving in the right direction (although it’s doubtful the charge of complicity in making the world obese will ever diminish).

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