McDonald’s “Less For More” Ad Is Outrageous- Indian Ad Campaigns Filled With Misogynistic Undertone And Deteriorating Content

McDonald’s ‘Less For More’ advertisement Online stirred up an online uproar for depicting a guy flirting with a female cashier in India. The advertisement, which was created to advertise the McSaver meal, depicts a man flirting with a McDonald employee i.e., a female cashier while placing an order. After eating his breakfast, the man in the video moves to the front of the line. Another male worker motions for him to approach the vacant counter but he declines the offer, intending to speak to the same female cashier once more.

“Sometimes, the greatest love stories start with the tiniest things — a glance, a smile, a meal,” said the advertisement for the $2 McVeggie meal. Social media users have been accusing the business of objectifying their own female employees and encouraging sexual harassment at work.

Some individuals were particularly irritated by the commercial and its slogan, “Date sort of… @ Rs 179.” People are demanding that the commercial be taken off from YouTube. While some argue that the commercial itself is innocuous, the video is subsequently followed up with the tag phrase lots of things can occur at INR 179 which establishes a bad precedent while rendering it sound worrisome.

According to critics, the advertisement normalizes “creepy” behavior and establishes a narrative in which males may hit on women even when in a professional situation.

Netizens against McDonald’s Ad

The tweets about this ad campaign called it terrible and repulsive for three reasons: 

1. They are inviting their consumers to hit on their personnel.
2. Creating a possibly dangerous work environment for their female workers
3. Profitably objectifying their female employees by implying that their consumers may flirt and find a date there.

One Twitter user stated that this sets a bad precedent for a culture that already views gig workers as low-wage workers who may be abused. The person stated that she had witnessed men flirting with waiters and flight attendants, and that this advertisement will validate such activities.

Another went so far as to say that young female employees are apparently an element of McDonald’s India’s product offering.  Others argued the commercial might exacerbate the harassment that female employees endure at work, calling it ugly as well as detrimental to labor dignity. 

One of them speaking out against the advertisement stated that this is precisely what occurs at McD’s restaurant. Now, McDonald’s is embracing this reality and going over and above by giving their staff a green light to date consumers during their work hours.

According to one of the remarks on the clip posted on YouTube of this advertising, there are many desperate individuals who would see it as a new approach for finding females. It would be unfortunate if the ladies who work there had to cope with stalkers. They smile at everyone, not just someone specific, since it is their job. However, this advertisement might be interpreted incorrectly. How will working women complete their jobs if they are interrupted now?

McDonald and its past with sexual harassment

The Time’s Up organization started an attempt to combat sexual harassment at Walmart as well as McDonald’s in 2018. The project attempted to deal with the pervasive issue of harassing in the fast-food sector. Jovanna Bastien, a former McDonald’s employee, filed suit against Yahoo and NBCUniversal for using her photograph in articles regarding the sexual harassment of McDonald’s workers.

Bastien asserts that a photographer took her picture without her consent and that it was published adjacent to articles discussing rallies, legal actions, and grievances towards the fast-food company. She claims that potential employers could have heard about the articles, which could hurt her chances of landing a job in the future. She is requesting a minimum of $30,000 in damages in addition to interest, fees, and legal costs.

Sexual harassment affects consumers as well as employees, and is a widespread problem. 2020 saw a number of workers launch a class-action lawsuit suing McDonald’s for not succeeding to provide them with protection from consumer abuse and violence.

According to the lawsuit, clients have been known to make sexual remarks, grope female staff, and even physically abuse them. The lawsuit also emphasized the difficulties caused by the company’s 90% franchised restaurant network.

Declining standards of advertising campaigns

This has not been the first advertisement in India to be criticized for its alleged sexist overtones. A perfume company called Layer’r Shot was accused of fostering rape culture with a commercial that has now been discontinued.

Two advertisements for the fragrance company Layer’r Shot that were claimed to advocate sexual violence drew criticism in 2022. In one commercial, three of a guy’s friends interrupt the young couple as they are ready to have a sexual encounter. “Did you take the shot?” one person queries the guy. His girlfriend becomes startled when he replies yes. Then, a different friend dons his sleeves and makes his way over to the bed, adding, “Now it’s our turn.” When the male takes up the Layer’r Shot cologne, the young woman looks afraid but quickly feels relieved.

In the second advertisement, many males are seen ostensibly stalking a single woman at a store. Before it is subsequently discovered that they were focusing on the aroma, they make provocative remarks. Due to the criticism, both advertisements were taken off.

 For its “men will be men” motto and sexist humor, a different set of advertisements from the booze company Imperial Blue have also drawn fire.

Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indians to combat sexism in his Independence Day address, saying, with regard to some unknown reason, a distortion has managed to sneak into our actions, how we act, and our language, so at times we disrespect women. He posed the question, can we promise to put a stop to this behavior?

The uproar surrounding the McDonald advertisement comes at a time when Zomato has just come under fire for its degrading portrayal of a Dalit character dubbed “Kachra” (which means garbage) from the 2001 film Lagaan. The advertisement, which ran on June 5—World Environment Day—made a connection between the Hindi term for waste, “kachra,” and the figure Kachra. It was attacked by online users for being casteist, repulsive, and extremely disrespectful. Zomato admitted that their accidental acts may have affected some groups and people after displaying their regret on their official Twitter account. They apologized and said that the video had been removed.

All of these and several more examples highlight the declining standards of advertisements and marketing in India and improper taglines, as well as the severe dearth of ethical and responsible journalism.

Despite their brief duration, advertisements have a significant influence. Therefore, it’s crucial that these advertising don’t convey any messages that may be considered reckless or insensitive in any manner.  Such an advertising is not only tone-deaf but also risky because temporary employees, particularly women, already find themselves in a position of vulnerability and regularly taken advantage of.

Numerous individuals have noted that the commercial may result in the expansion of hazardous environments for women and would, in reality, encourage consumers to make flirtatious or, worse, unwelcome sexual or romantic overtures against employees. Another person noted that while commercials are supposed to boost sales and profits, they shouldn’t do so at the expense of objectifying or taking advantage of people, especially women. In today’s social media-driven world, as we’ve seen time and time again, a badly planned advertising campaign may easily turn into a major public relations problem.

Published By Naveenika Chauhan