Wednesday, April 13, 2011

McDonald Pulled Out Its Latest "BF-GF" Ad

McDonald's Commercial Ads
Among the TV and print ads of McDonald's, Karen (Gina) and Lolo was our all-time favorite. It has touched many hearts and has moved the lives of its most, if not all, viewers.

I write this blog post because I can hardly keep my mouth shut as I sincerely worry that this Ad might mess up the integrity and legacy McDo has lived by all these years and inculcated among its consumers.

I am now so sure that most of us have viewed the latest commercial ad of McDonald on TV - the controversial "BF-GF commercial" right?

Well, at first, if you would look at the said ad, you'd likely love it - so cute to see the kids do the ad. They seemed to be so bibo, adorable and very charming - so talented. And how a child can look so innocent and sincere whenever he or she says a word, a line or anything. Children appears so sincere and meek without taking any effort. Yes, very effortless.

However, to our dismay, most viewers love the commercial ad - making it their most loved and favorite TV commercial as of the moment. Oopps, not us. Definitely NOT us. We totally dislike (if I may say so) the commercial ad as it doesn't portray such values we want our child to adopt and practice as he grows up.

I was even surprised to hear our unico hijo (2 years old) Eieo asked this question: "Mommy, holding hands sila?" At his very young age, I could see in his eyes and his facial expression that he was a bit amazed or confused... why such an ate and kuya would even hold each other's hands. :-)

I know this happens: Upon much realization and viewing the TV ad for several times, we would come to our senses and think of the values/principles being portrayed in the said commercial. Oh well, I was even so worried to see Facebook fan pages for this controversial McDo ad. Mind you, a lot of people LIKED the FB Fan Page... thousands of FB users from different walks of life and many of them are teens, teenagers, young adults. How does you feel?

Here's the latest news about this most recent McDo Ad:

McDonald's pulls out "BF-GF commercial" after CBCP called for them to stop airing ad.

The controversial "BF-GF commercial"

(SPOT.ph) McDonald's has pulled out its ad dubbed by some as the "BF-GF commercial," after the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) called for them to stop airing the ad, reports Inquirer.net.

The giant fast food chain decided to pull out the 30-second ad from major television networks yesterday after some Catholic Church officials said it could send the wrong message to children. In the commercial, a little girl asks a boy if she was already his girlfriend. The boy says no, claiming girlfriends are too demanding. However, he seemingly changes his mind when the girl says all she wants is the P25 French fries at McDonald's.

McDonald's Philippines Vice President for Marketing Margot Torres told Radio Veritas that they have pulled out the ad because they respect the call of Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez. "So by (Wednesday), a different McDonald's ad should be seen on TV," Torres said.

In response, Iñiguez told Radio Veritas, "We are very happy that McDonald's listened to our plea, (and) that it agrees with the sentiment and the reflection of the church on the commercial spot."

Earlier, Fr. Melvin Castro said the commercial is "very shallow" and "cheapens human relationships," reports Inquirer.net. The executive secretary of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Family and Life said, "If the ad attempted to teach commitment, (it failed) because it was too superficial to point to a packet of French fries as the basis of a relationship."

Iñiguez also said earlier, "The two children are not even at the right age for this kind of relationship... It (the ad) might also pave the way for us to lose sight of the good ways of shaping the values of our children."

For more on this story, log on to Inquirer.net.



Kudos to McDonald's for pulling out the said ad so as not just to worsen the situation or magnify the issue or to merely grant the plea of CBCP but most of all, to continue its legacy and live by its integrity. Well, this goes to show that McDo is indeed determined of their company's values and principles. Most of all, it has only proven that it has the Big Heart to care for its clientele - today's and tomorrow's generation/s.

Cheers! McDo, what you did shall inspire other business entities to religiously screen and monitor their advertising campaigns and marketing strategies. It's indeed admirable. Thumbs up! :-)

♥♥♥ Mommy Mai Raine ♥♥♥

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice read. I also wrote a similar article and have been getting more or less positive response from people who criticized the CBCP for intervening. It's just sad that as I was surfing the net for comments on the issue, I see less articles like this and more bigotry-filled comments. Cheers for writing!

http://argentpoet.wordpress.com/2011/04/13/a-tale-of-two-mcdo-fries-commercials/

Realities and Realization said...

@ argentpoet (SilverTongue)I left a message in your recent post. Friends? :)
_____________

Hi there. You’ve got a great blog here – interesting and very informative. :-)

Thanks for dropping by. Your comment in my recent post http://realitiesandrealizations.blogspot.com/2011/04/mcdonald-pulled-out-its-latest-bf-gf-ad.html has made me smile. You are so right. There have been lots of negative/destructive criticisms about CBCP’s plea (intervening in the said issue). And I am really saddened to read their comments as well as how they deliver or express their sentiments. For me, what CBCP did was just so right as TV ads, as well as all other marketing strategies many businesses have nowadays, shall be of good values and the like.

Thank you again for liking my post and for your kind words. I’d surely be coming back and be reading your post/s from time to time. Cheers!