The stunt is garnering mixed reactions.
McDonald’s made a major play to celebrate International Women’s Day this year, taking its famed golden arches and turning them upside down across social media and at an owner-operated location in Lynwood, Calif.
“In celebration of women everywhere, and for the first time in our brand history, we flipped our iconic arches for International Women’s Day in honor of the extraordinary accomplishments of women everywhere and especially in our restaurants,” Wendy Lewis, McDonald’s chief diversity officer, said in a statement.
Lewis also penned a medium post on the subject of women’s rights.
Outside of the one physical location where McDonald’s has flipped its logo upside down to celebrate women everywhere, the brand is also rolling out limited time “W” packaging and crew shirts and hats across 100 U. S. locations.
McDonald’s also released a short video honoring women who have played a part in the brand’s history. The spot focuses on Patricia Williams, owner of the McDonald’s restaurant where the logo has been temporarily flipped upside down.
The move has sparked a lot of debate on social media, with many championing McDonald’s for its clever marketing, done in partnership with agency We Are Unlimited.
“This idea is as simple as it is bold, asking for nothing less than the impossible. I couldn’t be more proud of our clients for making this a reality, and the whole team is honored to help bring the idea to life. On this day this is an amazing way to celebrate the women of McDonald’s, both present and past, whose contributions have made the company what it is today,” Toygar Bazarkaya, chief creative officer of We Are Unlimited, said in a statement.
Brilliant #InternationalWomensDay pic.twitter.com/fQF8JI5Hhu — Musa Tariq (@MusaTariq) March 8,2018
Brilliant. #IWD2018. You going to let that go without comment @Whataburger? https://t.co/xcNRDtqd6U — David Gorman (@DavidEGorman) March 8,2018
Others on the web are a bit more skeptical of the move, with some saying McDonald’s is co-opting feminism to sell burgers and ignoring a multitude of issues female employees face at the company.
McDonalds: In celebration of women we are flipping the arches upside down. Or you could give your employees better benefits. McD: Look it’s a W! Maybe a living wage? Better family leave? A career path forward in the face of automation? McD: The W stands for women. — bogwolf (@truebe) March 7,2018
Brands, stop exploiting feminism with cute gimmicks. @McDonalds if you want to be perceived as “feminist” you can start by paying your employees fair wages. https://t.co/KEKWvY0GQN — Jena Friedman (@JenaFriedman) March 8,2018
Today, as McDonald’s turns its arches upside down to co-opt #InternationalWomensDay, we’re delivering the messages of their women workers who, in 2016, took action nationwide to demand an end to rampant sexual harassment on the job https://t.co/NffDnrfFpO #FightFor15 #IWD2018 pic.twitter.com/RbHKBcCaW0 — Fight For 15 (@fightfor15) March 8,2018
CREDITS CLIENT: McDonald’s U. S. U. S. Chief Marketing Officer: Morgan Flatley Senior Vice President, Corporate Relations: Jano Cabrera Sr. Director, U. S. Marketing, Brand and Marketing Content: Julie Wenger Sr. Director, U. S. Communications, PR and Brand Reputation: Molly Starman Director, U. S. Marketing, Customer Engagement & Social Experience: Paul Matson Director, Public Affairs, Corporate Communications: Katie Condon Manager, U. S. Marketing, Digital Campaigns and Content: Emily Charron Manager, U. S. Communications, Brand and Employer Reputation: Lauren Snyder Manager, Corporate & U. S. Customer Experience & Engagement, Corporate Communications: Jamie Kennedy Supervisor, U. S. Communications, Brand Strategy and Employer Reputation: Britt Collett Supervisor, U. S. Marketing, Brand and Content: Faizan Tahir
CREATIVE AGENCY: We Are Unlimited Chief Creative Officer, DDB North America: Ari Weiss Chief Creative Officer, We Are Unlimited: Toygar Bazarkaya Chief Executive Officer, We Are Unlimited: Mark Mulhern Chief Delivery Officer, Denis Budniewski Chief Production Officer, Jon Ellis Executive Creative Director, John Hansa Creative Director, Vic Sanchez Creative Director, Jon Morgan Senior Art Director, Emily Walton Senior Copywriter, Sarah Uchison Copywriter, Liza Rush Art Director, Caitlin VanderKlok Art Director, Georgia Taylor Copywriter, Sarah Dembkowski Videographer/Photographer, Mason Adams Senior Integrated Producer, Otto Linwood Content Producer, Nikki Calabrese Group Business Director, Chris Bergen Group Business Director, Melanie Behling Account Executive, Jessa Gianotti Account Executive, Ellese Meyer Senior Social Strategy Lead, Emily Bader Senior Narrative Strategist, Carly Starratt Associate Director Social Strategy, Daniela Vieira
ADVERTISING AGENCY/NETWORK PARTNER: DDB Canada Executive Vice President, Chief Creative Officer: Cosmo Campbell Executive Creative Director: Dean Lee Senior Art Director: John Larigakis
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Sanctuary Content Executive Producer, Preston Lee Director, Elle Ginter Producer, Tyler Boylan Director Photography, Allison Anderson
EDITORIAL: Arcade Edit Managing Partner, Damian Stevens Head of Production, Kirsten Thon-Webb Executive Producer, Crissy DeSimone Senior Producer, Rebecca Jameson Editor, Kim Bica Assistant Editor, Dean Miyahira and Andy Trecki
AUDIO POST: We Are Unlimited Audio Engineer, Paxson Helgesen
EDIT: ONLINE/VFX: Timber Creative Directors / Partners – Jonah Hall & Kevin Lau Executive Producer: Sabrina Elizondo Head of Production: Melody Alexander Senior VFX Producer: Emily Avoujageli Colorist: Miles Kinghorn Lead Flame Artist: Brian Shneider Flame Assist: Brandon Harden & Brack Hightchew
RETAIL & PROMOTIONS EMBEDDED PARTNER AT WE ARE UNLIMITED: The Marketing Store Sr. Vice President, Creative Director, Jim Eby Sr. Vice President, Account Director, Ursula Ostrom Account Supervisor, Kathryn Fiedler Art Director, Megan VanDagens
DESIGN: Boxer Brand Design V. P., Creative Director, Diana Samper Account Director, Lisa Burgess Senior Account Executive: Brian Torbik
MEDIA: Resolution Media Associate Director, Social Media: Eric Dornbrook Associate Director: Samantha Bartucci Social Media Supervisor: Maura McNaulty Social Media Strategist: Lexi Wozny
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