McDonald’s is a fast-food giant. Despite its popularity around the globe, it has come under intense scrutiny regarding its environmental practices as demonstrated in a 2020 advertisement. This ad promotes McDonald’s popular beef burger, the Quarter Pounder. The still image ad shows a high-quality, up-close image of the product and reads in large letters, “The Quarter Pounder. Canadian Beef. Now Sustainably Sourced.” Beneath the bold text, in small fine print, the advertisement clarifies that “at least 30%” of the Quarter Pounder’s beef comes from “certified sustainable sources that meet CRSB standards”. At first glance, the ad prominently states that McDonald’s beef is sustainably sourced. However, this could be considered greenwashing; the ad intentionally misleads consumers into thinking that they are helping the planet by purchasing McDonald’s products. This language masks the fact that 70 percent of McDonald’s Quarter Pounder beef is produced unsustainably. Using this kind of language could be considered the sin of vagueness, one of the seven sins of greenwashing (UL Solutions, n.d.).
Ultimately, the advertisement is trying to convince consumers that purchasing a Quarter Pounder burger is an eco-friendly choice. To do so, the viewer’s eyes are immediately drawn to the burger on the right. Because of the darker grey background, the burger stands out and becomes a focal point of the advertisement. The sharpness and clarity of the zoomed-in photo help to show the quality of the burger. The meat looks juicy and tender and the other ingredients look very fresh and appealing. This image would appeal to most, aligning with McDonald’s large target market that ranges from kids to senior citizens. Next, the ad is filled with vibrant, bright colours of red and yellow — seen mainly in the two slices of melted cheese and the ketchup on the burger. These colours are reflected nicely in the classic “Golden Arches” of the McDonald’s logo. To cohesively tie this advertisement together, the text, “Canadian Beef”, is printed in the same bright yellow colour, contrasting well with the background and making it pop for the viewer. Once again, this relays the central message of this locally-sourced McDonald’s product being a sustainable choice.
A 2020 study showed that “animal agriculture is a major producer of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to 14.5% of global emissions” (Kristiansen, Painter, and Shea 2021). This means that one of McDonald’s primary concerns is its supply chain, particularly its sourcing of ingredients like beef and palm oil. The production of beef is a major driver of deforestation, habitat destruction, and greenhouse gas emissions. To counter this, McDonald’s has implemented a wide range of environmental initiatives including waste reduction and management practices, conservation of natural resources, and the overall promotion of environmental values and practices (Raj and Singh 2020). According to a 2022 article published in the journal, Cultural Sociology, McDonald’s Canada’s promotion of local environmentally sustainable beef shows that the company is taking steps in the right direction (Otto, Johnston, and Baumann 2022). Moreover, McDonald’s has displayed corporate responsibility by advocating for sustainable farming methods, exemplified by its commitment to sourcing palm oil sustainably by 2015 in collaboration with Unilever and Nestle, aimed at mitigating greenhouse gas emissions linked to deforestation (Rowley and McMurtrey 2017). Overall, it is important to recognize that McDonald’s has taken some steps towards sustainable practices.
Nonetheless, the Quarter Pounder ad from McDonald’s is concerning. McDonald’s has employed intentionally vague language to convince viewers that their beef is completely sustainably sourced. Only once viewers read the fine print (which is hidden in the corner of the ad in thin, white text) are they able to understand the full picture. Recent scholarly analyses of McDonald’s environmental initiatives show that the company is taking some steps toward corporate responsibility. These initiatives must be viewed cautiously, however, as they may be an attempt to manipulate public opinion without actually taking action. As society becomes aware of the dangers of the climate crisis, greenwashing will become increasingly pervasive in advertising. Therefore, viewers need to view advertisements like the McDonald’s Quarter Pounder one critically.
Bibliography
Ali, Amir. 2021. “Not lovin’ it: McDonald’s pulls “misleading” Quarter Pounder advertisement.” Accessed January 29, 2024. https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/mcdonalds-pulls-misleading-beef-advertisement.
Kristiansen, Silje, James Painter, and Meghan Shea. 2021. “Animal Agriculture and Climate Change in the US and UK Elite Media: Volume, Responsibilities, Causes and Solution.” Environmental Communication 15, no. 2: 153-172. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2020.1805344
Otto, Natalia, Josée Johnston, and Shyon Baumann. 2022. “Moral Entrepreneurialism for the Hamburger: Strategies for Marketing a Contested Fast Food.” Cultural Sociology 16, no. 2: 190-211. https://doi.org/10.1177/17499755211039932
Raj, Shivneil Kumar, and Navjeet Kaur Singh. 2020. “Strategizing of Fast Food Industries Using A Balanced Scorecard Approach: A Case Study of McDonald’s Corporation.” International Journal of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences 6, no. 6: 258-273. https://doi.org/10.20469/ijhss.6.20004-6
Rowley, Ben, and Mark E. McMurtrey. 2017. “McDonald’s and the Triple Bottom Line: A Case Study of Corporate Sustainability.” Journal of Strategic Innovation & Sustainability 12, no. 1: 33-37. http://t.www.na-businesspress.com/JSIS/McMurtreyME_Web11_1_.pdf
UL Solutions. n.d. “Sins of Greenwashing.” Accessed January 29, 2024. https://www.ul.com/insights/sins-greenwashing
Jaylie Holmes
Upon initial read of this essay I found it quite educational! Starting with the structure and formality of the essay I thought Libby did a respectable job. Beginning with a strong and provocative title, I personally think the hook could use the same sort of attention grab. The writing transitions nicely and is easy to follow while remaining formal and concise. In terms of description, Libby explains the advertisement so well to the point it actually made me hungry while reading. It’s A vivid and thorough analysis, using solid colour descriptors and how they are cohesive with the rest of the image. The objective of the ad is to get its audience to purchase a Quarter Pounder as an “eco friendly” option. Libby explains how “McDonald’s has employed intentionally vague language to convince viewers that their beef is completely sustainably sourced” whereas in reality, a minimum of 30% is all that’s required to make the cut. They reference scholarly sources to point out how the beef industry affects the planet. Libby also states that “McDonald’s has implemented a wide range of environmental initiatives” to counter these negatives. The author does this all while encompassing the notion that we as consumers should keep an eye out for greenwashing in media as it will become more prevalent in coming times. A couple of suggestions, I would rewrite the citation in Chicago style and be more specific about who the audience is (people on the go? People who care for the environment?) Overall, great job!