McDonald’s ad in Japan causes controversy overseas
An anime clip viewed as harmless in Japan is interpreted differently by foreign viewers.
soranews24.com
An anime clip viewed as harmless in Japan is interpreted differently by foreign viewers.
McDonald’s Japan has around six million followers on its official Twitter account so it’s not unusual for posts on the feed to attract a large number of views. However, one of its most recent posts has surpassed all expectations, attracting over 133 million views in less than a week.
The reaction to the video hasn’t been entirely positive, though, with a large number of foreign viewers taking offence at the post, sending it viral for all the wrong reasons. While it contains a seemingly innocent short anime clip to advertise the chain’s fries and nuggets deal, available on the menu from 5 in the evening, some viewers have chosen to read the scene differently.
▼ Take a look at the ad, which comes with the message “Happy times aren’t out of the ordinary”, below.
On the surface, the clip shows three people sitting around a table in the kitchen, with McDonald’s takeout bags on the tabletop and a box of nuggets and sauce laid out in front of them. The person on the left picks up a nugget and eats it while the person on the right feeds a French fry to the child in between them. Apparently overjoyed by the taste of the fry, the child nods their head and swings from side to side in delight, bringing a smile to everyone’s faces.
Once the clip was picked up by foreign viewers, though, some of them weren’t smiling, instead criticising what they saw to be a white nuclear family unit.
McDonald’s Japan has around six million followers on its official Twitter account so it’s not unusual for posts on the feed to attract a large number of views. However, one of its most recent posts has surpassed all expectations, attracting over 133 million views in less than a week.
The reaction to the video hasn’t been entirely positive, though, with a large number of foreign viewers taking offence at the post, sending it viral for all the wrong reasons. While it contains a seemingly innocent short anime clip to advertise the chain’s fries and nuggets deal, available on the menu from 5 in the evening, some viewers have chosen to read the scene differently.
▼ Take a look at the ad, which comes with the message “Happy times aren’t out of the ordinary”, below.
On the surface, the clip shows three people sitting around a table in the kitchen, with McDonald’s takeout bags on the tabletop and a box of nuggets and sauce laid out in front of them. The person on the left picks up a nugget and eats it while the person on the right feeds a French fry to the child in between them. Apparently overjoyed by the taste of the fry, the child nods their head and swings from side to side in delight, bringing a smile to everyone’s faces.
Once the clip was picked up by foreign viewers, though, some of them weren’t smiling, instead criticising what they saw to be a white nuclear family unit.
As the naysayers came out to criticise the ad, so too did anime supporters, who saw nothing wrong with the clip.
However, another faction of viewers saw something different in the ad altogether, pointing out the likeness between the character on the left and a well-known character from the manga world, Chihiro from Kagura Bachi. The McDonald’s ad was released just as memes overhyping Kagura Bachi as the best thing of all time were flooding social media, so it didn’t take long for people to notice the likeness.
McDonald’s Japan made no comment about the controversy or the likeness between characters, instead releasing a new ad from the same anime artist a few days later.
It just goes to show that Japanese ads translate differently for audiences overseas, where there’s an entirely different world of marketing. While it’s perfectly fine to sell Asian Juicy burgers and Adult Cream Pies at McDonald’s in Japan, those exclusive menu items just wouldn’t fly overseas.
McDonald’s Japan made no comment about the controversy or the likeness between characters, instead releasing a new ad from the same anime artist a few days later.
It just goes to show that Japanese ads translate differently for audiences overseas, where there’s an entirely different world of marketing. While it’s perfectly fine to sell Asian Juicy burgers and Adult Cream Pies at McDonald’s in Japan, those exclusive menu items just wouldn’t fly overseas.
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i heard about this controversy but it wasn't until now that i watched the ad, seems harmless to me?
personally i think the video is cute, it almost makes you forget that Mcdonald's food has the nutritional value of eating lard with a spoon
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I am used to anime so I was digging for what was wrong. I didn't even see it as a "nuclear family". It looks like big sister and boyfriend/brother with little sister.
I am not the ads target audience as I haven't eaten McDonald's for more than five years.
I am not the ads target audience as I haven't eaten McDonald's for more than five years.
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There's literally nothing wrong with that video. People are sick 
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I saw the video and I didn't understand the controversy. They look cute and I like that animation style.
This.
that's a good point, literally no part of the advertisement mentions this is supposed to be a dad / mom / child
big part of the issue seems to be people projecting their headcanons into the video
i legitimately can't recall the last time i watched an ad from them so no idea how are they supposed to look outside Japan, i also don't get why it's supposed to be an issue? that said they did a huge favor to Mcdonald's, is already one of the most watched ads on Twitter this yearThere's literally nothing wrong with that video. People are sick
These people need to go out and touch some grass 
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I didn't see anything wrong
Some people are too bored or are trying anything to complaint
Some people are too bored or are trying anything to complaint
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Peoples are dumb for real. Forcing issue out of nothing
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the commercial is so cute 
it is! dunno why they don't make ads like that in the west, not neccesarily Anime style but just a similar vibe, the fact that people all around the world loved the animation is something Mcdonald's should keep in mindthe commercial is so cute
also due to the success of the original they released 5 more commercials in this style, the campaign ended earlier this month
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...I tried to find anything problematic in that ad. I found none.
Damn, some people are so chronically online, it's concerning.
I think the ad is cute. But even then I have stopped buying McDonalds. The "nutritional value of eating lard with a spoon" comment is too accurate
Damn, some people are so chronically online, it's concerning.
I think the ad is cute. But even then I have stopped buying McDonalds. The "nutritional value of eating lard with a spoon" comment is too accurate
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People are bloody dumb.
It's a cute video and that is all that it is.
It's a cute video and that is all that it is.