Let’s get my personal bias about McDonald’s out of the way before I get into this recruitment video. My very first job, at age 15, was as a cook at a McDonald’s Express that attached to a gas station. I lasted all of three months before getting fired over an incident where a slice of cheese got into the fry grease. Years later, I’m admittedly still a little bitter about the situation.
That being said, this almost 9-minute long recruitment video that the Consumerist refers to as “propaganda” is worth the watch, as we follow a young, educated girl who ignores the criticism of her mother and her best friend and finds happiness working at McDonald’s. The video addresses the “McJob” stereotype head-on, and portrays McDonald’s as the sort of place where attractive young 20-somethings laugh and have an awesome time while earning a decent living. Maybe McDonald’s in the UK is different than in the U.S. After all, it’s nearly impossible to survive on the minimum wage the company pays its employees here.
What can we learn from this video? First of all, those who blame McDonald’s are uneducated and ill-informed of the healthy options on the menu. Also, your boss and McDonald’s will let you switch a shift to go see Green Day. And, at McDonald’s, you can convince your parents to believe in you with the volunteer work you can participate in. This video is not only a high-budget effort, but also carries with it a huge emotional value that any lost and confused youth will easily buy into. It’s a great advertisement for a place that carries such a negative stigma. Too bad it’s all untrue.