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Are You Into Gourmet Burgers?
Suppose you had to order them through a machine and eat them at McDonalds?

According to a new Globe & Mail article, these are the (up to $50) questions they’re banking on with their latest marketing strategy.

It outlines a new strategy the fast food giant is introducing. Digital kiosks that allow customers to order premium hamburgers from almost 30 options. They’re also adding greeters and servers to bring these new premium burgers directly to your table. You know, the faded yellow formica table with the dried gum underneath it.

There seems to be a super-sized disconnect here, doesn’t there?

clueless-cheeseburger-looking-at-question-mark-102714

Now, don’t get us wrong—we’re all for brands finding new ways to be remarkable. We try to do that every day for our clients. We just tend to shy away from remarkably stupid ways to do it. For instance, we’d never suggest to Harley-Davidson that they start adding airbags to their bikes, or that the Home Depot start selling tires, or that Pita Pit should offer burgers. Remarkability can never contradict the fundamental tenets and story of a brand.

It throws three of those much-loved brand pillars under the bus.

The story of McDonald’s, since its inception has included “fast”, “cheap”, “consistent” and “pervasive”. These are what the brand excels at. This is what the public has come to know and love the brand for. It’s everywhere, you know what you’re going to get every time, and it’s relatively low-priced fare, that you can get quickly. So WTF is it doing offering a low-end fast food crowd the opportunity to buy an up-to-$50 hamburger, using a digital kiosk and then, even more incongruently, have it delivered to them by a waiter? It throws three of those much-loved brand pillars under the bus.

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