McDonald’s versus Starbucks? Yeah. Who would have thunk it, but here it is. McDonald’s and their agency DDB have decided to take on the coffee chain by painting Starbucks as the brand for intellectuals.
The girls in the ad are pleased that they don’t know where Paraguay is. They’re thrilled that they don’t have to read books anymore. They can barely count. Blech. Sure, there’s a nod and a wink, but it’s unnecessary and will be received by many as blunt force tactics downgrading “brains” in era where such things should be celebrated, not derided.
Why must we divide everything up? Most people are a little of both – one day you want a mess of french fries and the next, you want that double latte. It has zero reflection on whether you are smart or dumb, snotty or down to earth. I know, I know this is advertising, but as political ads head for the lowest common denominator, advertising is totally following suit. And it’s gross and shortsighted. These kinds of spots make it impossible for brands to actually be mass; to truly reap the rewards of having lots of people identify with your product, which means less dollars in the coffers in the long run.
If you recall, Dunkin’ Donuts went with the every man ploy and that worked. You want coffee. In a cup. That’s inexpensive. Dunkin’ Donuts. It’s good. So, my question is – where does that leave the Dunkin’ Donuts crowd on this DDB chart of brain power? Where are they on the rankings of intellect?
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