Vote: Creepiest fast food advertising image

  • Thread starter Thread starter Math Is Hard
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Food Image
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The forum discussion centers on the unsettling nature of fast food advertising, specifically comparing the Burger King King and Baby Ronald McDonald images. Participants express that both characters evoke a sense of creepiness, with the Burger King King being described as "campy" yet disturbing, while Baby Ronald's portrayal raises questions about the ethics of advertising to children. The Baby Ronald ad, reportedly from India, is noted for its bizarre and potentially photoshopped imagery. Overall, the consensus is that both ads utilize a "creepy" aesthetic to engage audiences, challenging traditional advertising norms.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of advertising psychology
  • Familiarity with fast food marketing strategies
  • Knowledge of cultural differences in advertising
  • Awareness of digital image manipulation techniques
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the impact of creepy advertising on consumer behavior
  • Explore the use of humor and horror in marketing campaigns
  • Investigate the cultural reception of fast food ads in different countries
  • Learn about digital editing tools like Adobe Photoshop for creating surreal imagery
USEFUL FOR

Marketing professionals, advertising students, and anyone interested in the psychological effects of unconventional advertising strategies.

Who's creepier?

  • The Burger King king

    Votes: 5 20.0%

  • Baby Ronald

    Votes: 20 80.0%
  • Total voters
    25
Math Is Hard
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
Messages
4,650
Reaction score
36
The Burger King king:
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/09/ceo_socnet/image/burger-king.jpg[/Img]


Baby Ronald McDonald:
[PLAIN]http://content4.clipmarks.com/image_cache/constantskeptic/512/3D4C4195-AC21-40F1-A90B-E589D50FC792.jpg
http://clipmarks.com/clipmark/3316AE9A-6A0C-43ED-8623-86ABFCE0D4CA/
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Ugh, some poor baby had to get powdered up and made up for that!
...Wonder how long / how many takes it took?

EDIT: Burger King king Klingon!
http://superpunch.blogspot.com/2009/05/klingon-burger-king.html

I think I now want some BK with a side of Star Trek bobble-heads
 
The bebeh for sure is creepier. Looks like chucky or something.
 
The baby, what's creepy about the King?
 
I wish this was a poll where you could choose multiple choices. They're both creepy in their own way. I haven't seen the baby Ronald ad yet, but I can't stand the Burger King King ads.
 
the baby is creepy, but it's hard to believe it's an ad. there's some deep social commentary in that image, and it's not so positive.
 
Well in the pics in the OP, it's hard to say which is creepier...they are both weird.

The BK ads are definitely creepy...the one where he's in the forest? Whoa, reminded me of "Blair Witch Project"! But I haven't seen Baby Ronald ads yet. So I'll wait to cast my vote, until I see more of Baby Ronald.
 
I hate the commercials where the guy wakes up and the king is in his room.
 
I think the BK ads are great. It took guts for some ad exec to approve them - they're not the usual corporate fare. They are great for the sole reason that the King is so creepy.
 
  • #10
I haven't seen any ads with the baby, but the still looks like one of those quickly flashed nightmare images in recent Japanese horror flicks.

I think the BKK was intended to be 'campy' when they first introduced it. But at some point they gave up and accepted it was actually simply disturbing and now they're trying to go with that. Last one I saw, it was waking people up with an air horn.
 
  • #11
The baby ad is actually from India from what I read.
 
  • #12
Math Is Hard said:
The baby ad is actually from India from what I read.
Meaning it only airs in India?
 
  • #13
I think it is a print ad, for magazines, and such. But if it is.. I don't get it.
 
  • #14
Math Is Hard said:
I think it is a print ad, for magazines, and such. But if it is.. I don't get it.

Ah: the small text says: "Just opened. Near (something something)." So, it's an ad for a newly opened McDonald's.
 
  • #15
Oh, that at least makes some sense. Hmm...if it's only a print ad, maybe they didn't actually plaster all that makeup onto a baby and it's just a lot of photoshop type work. That would be a relief.
 
  • #16
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3si3aRs3NLc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gMZ62PsvRM
 
  • #17
AHAHAH, I love the burger KING!
 
  • #18
Ok that mcdonalds video is WEIRD. What the HELL?
 
  • #19
Pengwuino said:
Ok that mcdonalds video is WEIRD. What the HELL?
The baby face is computer generated.
 
  • #20
The baby is worse, damn Japanese McDonalds commercials, they're all that weird.
 
  • #21
binzing said:
The baby is worse, damn Japanese McDonalds commercials, they're all that weird.

You're telling me. The geisha Ronald McDonald was straight out of a nightmare. Maybe I can find it again...
 
  • #22
Anyone else remember that BK ad where the King and Darth Vader are facing off, breathing at each other for like 30 seconds, and that's the whole ad?
 
  • #23
I think the BK ads are brilliant. They are creepy, which is what I find so fascinating. Who would have thought that "creepy" is a great basis for peddling burgers??
 
  • #24
Ivan Seeking said:
I think the BK ads are brilliant. They are creepy, which is what I find so fascinating. Who would have thought that "creepy" is a great basis for peddling burgers??

Cows.
 
  • #25
Okay, what did they do - buy a blow up doll from a porn shop and change the make-up? That's just wrong!

This McDonald's ad from Austria is pretty strange, too.

http://www.gewista.at/upload/249803f7757f_2002baby_mcdonalds_an.jpg

http://www.gewista.at/relaunch/www/plakatwerbung.php?id=106&fid=227&show=vergroessern
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #26
BobG said:
Okay, what did they do - buy a blow up doll from a porn shop and change the make-up? That's just wrong!

This McDonald's ad from Austria is pretty strange, too.

http://www.gewista.at/upload/249803f7757f_2002baby_mcdonalds_an.jpg

http://www.gewista.at/relaunch/www/plakatwerbung.php?id=106&fid=227&show=vergroessern

Weird. Almost looks like the baby is nursing a sesame seed covered breast. Is McDonald's recommending their hamburgers for weaning?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #27
The Baby ronald mcdonald video is certainly creepy, but I don't think it's an official video. It was made with MotionPortrait software from a single still image, and only required someone to dub the voice crackle sound over it (a sound I enjoy disturbing people with quite frequently). There aren't even McDonald's logos..
 
  • #28
junglebeast said:
The Baby ronald mcdonald video is certainly creepy, but I don't think it's an official video. It was made with MotionPortrait software from a single still image, and only required someone to dub the voice crackle sound over it (a sound I enjoy disturbing people with quite frequently). There aren't even McDonald's logos..

I think you're right - I bet someone saw the McDonalds picture ad and thought, "Hmmm.. I bet I could make this picture into a really freaky video". It's nice work!
 
  • #29
Math Is Hard said:
Weird. Almost looks like the baby is nursing a sesame seed covered breast. Is McDonald's recommending their hamburgers for weaning?
Have to wonder if it's a real ad, or a social criticism.
 
  • #30
zoobyshoe said:
Have to wonder if it's a real ad, or a social criticism.

It does look suspicious.