McDonald’s OOH Wins Cannes and I’m Not Loving It

McDonald’s Ads Win Cannes Outdoor Grand Prix by Turning Golden Arches Into Arrows

I’m not ‘loving it’

McDonald’s was named a winner by Cannes for its Outdoor design “Golden Arches as Arrows”.  I stand like clay by my comments and blog post from last March, OOH Today McDonald’s Misses Golden Opportunity,   regarding the recent McDonald’s Outdoor creative just recognized as an ‘Award Winner’ by Cannes.  I don’t think its good outdoor.

From our blog in March,

The ability to reproduce full color product, (giant cheese and fresh lettuce laden beefy burgers, large, salty, golden fries and the icy quenched Coke) creating visually appealing hunger and desire, is too great a message to ignore. The ‘unifying design’ or the ‘Golden Arches as Arrows’ may have appeal in sign faces so small, nothing else can be read.  Why bother?  Certainly not on the examples of the posters and bulletins in the photographs shared.  It will be interesting if this new directional design is accepted worldwide.  Store sales will determine.

I will not be giving them ‘a break today.’  Don’t get me wrong about what I think of the creative. It’s a cool idea. It’s a design which has always been right there in front of everyone for years, obviously unnoticed, but that does not make it good OOH Advertising.

I use an OOH salesperson’s construct for recognizing and awarding ‘Winning Outdoor Advertising’.

A key component in acknowledging Outdoor Advertising creative excellence is: Does it work for the advertiser?  ie. Does the message, make the cash register ring?  For Directional OOH, which this campaign is, are more cars and people visiting the stores?

Awards do not always translate into effectiveness or success, but effectiveness or success should always be criteria qualifying for an award.The real judge for great OOH is getting the cash register to ring

The real judge for great OOH is getting the cash register to ring.

When the McDonald’s store franchisees spend their own ad dollars and the campaign goes national, then I will concede it’s great outdoor creative worthy of an award.  Until I see this campaign as ‘the closest thing to home’ or bought nationally in everyone’s home town, it’s not ‘my McDonald’s.’

I have nothing against McDonald’s. I love the fact that they are, year after year, the largest spender in OOH advertising.  Note, its how many burgers are sold and not how many awards they’ve won.

I am willing to put some skin in the game. If this design does go to a national OOH buy throughout the Country,  including McD’s Franchisees spending their own dollars, then my proverbial ‘eat my hat’ penance will be, to eat one meal every day at McDonald’s for one standard OOH period or 28 consecutive days. I rarely eat fast food.  That is more than I eat in 4 or 5 years, all fast food, burgers or otherwise combined. 

What do you think? Who’s loving it?
Is McDonald’s missing a ‘golden’ opportunity using only their arches?

If you are seeing this award-winning Cannes Outdoor “Golden Arches to Arrows” design in your market. Please send photos to BillBoard@OOHToday.com

I will…eat one meal every day for one standard OOH period or 28 consecutive days