McDonalds Analysis

I will be looking at and analysing the radio advertisement for McDonalds.

The commercial has a very simple message- they are making people aware of the fact that Mcdonalds offers a breakfast menu every single day of the week.

McDonalds have chosen to use a factual style advertisement- this is a good method when trying to influence and persuade an audience. Instead of making us feel as if we’re being given a pitch as to why to go to one of their restaurants, they have cleverly incorporated there menu into the advertisement, meaning it is factual in a very subtle way.

Multiple voices can be heard throughout the advertisement- I’ve estimated it at around 15 different people. Although it is a radio advertisement and we can’t physically see the actors, it’s obvious that they’re all of different age, gender and race from the tone of their voice. They’re tone of language is very conversational and informal- we feel as if we’re being spoken to in a friendly manor. The purpose of choosing different types of people and making the dialogue very chatty is to make the advertisement relatable to us as an audience. McDonalds is aimed at a very broad range of people and has something on the menu for everyone- this is something that seems to be a theme in all there commercials. Relatable advertisements need to fulfil a need or desire in our lives; the issue needs to be relatable to us as an audience and McDonalds should be providing us with a realistic solution or outcome.

McDonalds have chosen to do this by using issues that affect most of us on a daily basis; everyone has hectic and busy lives in the 21st century and we all struggle to get out bed in the morning meaning we’re usually running late- this is the relatable issue. The solution- go to McDonalds for breakfast! Although most of us are aware of the fact you can eat in at McDonalds the advertisement has chosen to focus on the drive through. We’ve been made to believe that the people in the advert are just like us, they’re a representation of us as a society.

A typical code and convention which is found in almost all advertisements is repetition- McDonalds mention there service name four times in a space of thirty seconds. Repetition allows them to build brand familiarity with their audience whilst also reminding them what is being advertised. McDonalds has been around for a very long time now with over 35,000 fast food restaurants across the world making it hard for anyone not to have seen one before- they’ve become a household name. Because of this most of us are already familiar with the brand name ‘McDonalds’ meaning that they’re free to ‘mess around’ with the name a little and make it fun without leaving audiences confused. They’ve incorporated relatability with repetition for a more powerful affect; just like they’ve shown us how all types of people use their services, they’re also making a point of showing how we’re all different as individuals- in the way we pronounce ‘McDonalds’. We hear three completely different voice actors pronouncing McDonalds in three different ways- ‘McDonalds’, ‘McD’s and ‘Macadonaldos.’ This method only works because McDonalds is already so popular.

Since McDonalds can be found almost anywhere and there are so many of them contact details have not been mentioned.

A cheery guitar tune can be heard faintly in the background of the advertisement from the beginning till 00.00.27 seconds. It’s the type of tune you would associate with a film that includes a stereotypical cliché family sat at the breakfast table in the morning.

As mentioned before, they’ve made a point of mentioning a large proportion of the menu in the advertisement- they’re persuading customers into using their services by appealing to them. There’s going to be something mentioned in the advert that’s going to sound good to each person.

Personally I believe the unique selling proposition to be the fact they offer a drive through breakfast. The majority of us in this day and age, usually only listen to the radio in the car, so what better way to advertise a drive through breakfast then on the radio- if the advert was to be shown on TV it would not have the same effect. What better place to air a commercial that is offering us a unique service then the place you’ll be carrying it out from. We want to feel as if we’re being provided with a one of a kind service we won’t find anywhere else- McDonalds are standing out from their competitors to audiences.

When any company sets out to create an advertisement, raising brand awareness is always a crucial factor, however it’s not always the sole purpose or intention. The purpose of this advert is to provide us with information- they’re letting us know they offer a drive through breakfast every single day of the week before 10:30am. Whilst I don’t believe it’s designed to promote seasonal awareness since there’s no mention of seasonal products, they do follow a winter theme. This is due to the fact that it’s the one time of year you’re most likely to use a drive through since it’s too cold to get out the car- they’ve aired it a crucial time of the years.

In terms of brand identification, McDonalds tend to differentiate between two different ones. In 2003 McDonalds came up with their first ever slogan- ‘I’m Loving It’- since then this has been there branding campaign across the whole world, however in recent years it’s often replaced with a short whistling tune that sounds exactly like the famous slogan- almost like a very short jingle. In some ways the identification works the same way as brand familiarity, we begin to associate the tune with McDonalds therefore building brand familiarity.

Before an advertisement is aired it first goes through RACC (Radio Advertising Clearing Centre) to ensure it meets the legal and ethical guidelines. Since McDonalds is a food chain it needs to be compared to the regulations for food- personally I believe no issues arise in the commercial. However, a major concern for McDonalds that they need to be wary of in their advertisements is making any nutritional health claims since they are a fast food chain- it’ll be classed as false advertising.