McDonald’s promises books made from rubbish, a Berlin publisher counters with the original

2023-07-17 22:15:24

The yellow M on the Autobahn as a sign of the promise of fries, burgers and plastic toys at McDonald’s is one of the most shameful childhood memories for many people. Anyone who eats consciously today can hardly believe how attractive fast food once was. Now the snack chain has been working on a healthier and better image for a long time – in the shops with salads, publicly with a program for needy children, also in cooperation with the Reading Foundation. Recently, even the disposable packaging is said to be really good.

So Ullstein uses the advertising of the fast-food giant as a model.Ullstein

Presumably because in the 21st century it’s just too boring to write “I’m good” or “I’m sensible” on posters, the ads are advertised in English with an exclamation of enthusiasm: “I am beautiful” is written in capital letters on the new posters, which praise the group’s recycling concept. The paper boxes for meat rolls and potato sticks are wonderful because they come from “renewable, recycled or sustainably certified sources”. The wooden spoons are also beautiful, because their use has saved 580 tons of plastic since 2020. That’s how much five blue whales weigh, they could have added that too.

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Good children don’t want toys

Only the saying “I am beautiful because I can become a book” is really surprising. He refers to the paper cups for drinks. According to the small print, almost five million little books have already been pressed out of which good children choose instead of a toy for the “Happy Meal” temptation bag.

McDonald’s advertisementMcDonald’s

But why do you have to drink hectoliters of coke or coffee to support McDonald’s book production? The Berlin-based Ullstein-Verlag is now drawing attention to a simple alternative: its slogan begins with the same three words and always ends in three motifs with “because I’m a book”. There is no recyclable product packaging next to it, just the originals: books. These are the novels “Paper Palace” by Miranda Cowley Heller, “Summer Solstice” by Pascal Engman and Johannes Selåker and “One Second to Love” by Kristina Moninger. The environmental issue is also taken up, the titles are “produced sustainably, of course”. And then there’s a line that’s obviously meant to smack the conscience of anyone thinking back to their childhood cravings: “Let’s appreciate books more.”