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The evolution of McDonald’s advertising (1960s-1980s). A thread.
By the end of the 1950s, McDonald’s was a growing brand with more than 100 restaurants and it was primed to be expanded across the US with the help of TV and print advertising.
1960 / The campaign "Look for the Golden Arches" gave sales a big boost.
Advertising would play a key role in the company’s success over the next decades as it’s president, Ray Kroc, believed it was “an investment that would come back many times over”.
Advertising would play a key role in the company’s success over the next decades as it’s president, Ray Kroc, believed it was “an investment that would come back many times over”.
1962 / The Filet-O-Fish sandwich, billed as "the fish that catches people", was introduced in McDonald's restaurants as the company started to diversify it's menu.
1965 / Still using the old McDonald’s logo, this ad boasts about the deal to serve Coca Cola in their restaurants. “We didn’t get big by being small” was an appropriate headline for the year the company went public.
1967 / McDonald's spent around $2 million on its first national TV advertising campaign, which was an unheard investment for a fast-food chain at the time.
1968 & 1969 / The end of the 60s saw the introduction of the Big Mac, a huge commercial and brand milestone for McDonald’s. On the right, the ad promoted the quality food you would expect from McD’s back then.
1971 / The company launched “You Deserve a Break Today”, one of their most successful slogans, which would be used for years to come.
1973 & 1975 / The Quarter-Pounder is introduced in this ad as McDonald’s continued their product-focused advertsing.
On the right, the Big Mac continued to be a focal point for the brand’s promotional activities during the mid-70s.
On the right, the Big Mac continued to be a focal point for the brand’s promotional activities during the mid-70s.
1975 / The audience is asked to remember the ingredients of the Big Mac in this classic 70s ad.
1975-1977 / By the 1970s, companies such as McDonald’s and Coca-Cola began increasing the racial diversity portrayed in their campaigns in an attempt to target African American consumers.
The adverts, in traditional McDonald’s manner, still catered to family values.
The adverts, in traditional McDonald’s manner, still catered to family values.
1976 / The brand is still focused on 'quality' by the mid-70s.
1979 / A new slogan is released: “Nobody can do it like McDonald’s can.” It doesn’t have the same appeal as “You deserve a break today”, but it would serve the brand well until the early 80s.
1979 / The Happy Meal is launched on this TV advert.
1980 / Competition intensified for McDonald’s in the 80s during the 'Burger Wars' with Wendy’s and Burger King starting to gain real ground. The tagline ‘Nobody can do it like McDonald's can’ was a strategic response to this reality.
1980 / The global expansion is at the highest rate. On the left, an ad in a Paris Metro station. On the right, an Australian advert promotes the vitamins and minerals you could find in a McDonald’s meal.
1982 / Focus on product quality was one of the ways McDonald's fought the 'Burger Wars'. In this ad, “Quality you can taste” is the main selling point.
1984 / The Burger Wars also prompted McDonald's to create the Value Pack – a predecessor of the widely popular ‘Value Meal’. Additionally, the brand started to diversify their menu further with new products such as the McNugget.
1984 / The McDLT is launched. The new product was supposed to be healthier and have better quality. The burger was served in an open container, with the bottom bun and meat on one half and the bun with the lettuce and tomato on the other half. The launch was a failure.
1987 / The Monopoly promotion is launched, which quickly became one of the highest selling periods of the year for McDonald’s for decades to come.
1988 / Even though the McDLT was already being considered a failure, McDonald’s was still promoting the burger.
McDLT aside, the company emerged from the Burger Wars of the 80s stronger.
McDLT aside, the company emerged from the Burger Wars of the 80s stronger.
The 1980s ended with McDonald’s as a global brand established in more 50 countries.
McDonald's success in the previous decades was in large part due to the company's skilful marketing and flexible response to customer demand.
McDonald's success in the previous decades was in large part due to the company's skilful marketing and flexible response to customer demand.
Some of the sources for this thread:
https://www.businessinsider.com/then-and-now-mcdonalds-restaurants-through-the-years
https://www.delish.com/restaurants/g28679621/mcdonalds-vintage-photos/?slide=37
https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/06/casual-racism-and-greater-diversity-in-70s-advertising/394958/
https://flashbak.com/you-deserve-a-break-today-1960s-1980s-mcdonalds-history-in-advertising-29820/
https://profitworks.ca/blog/541-how-mcdonalds-became-the-leader-fast-food-industry-marketing-strategy
https://www.businessinsider.com/then-and-now-mcdonalds-restaurants-through-the-years
https://www.delish.com/restaurants/g28679621/mcdonalds-vintage-photos/?slide=37
https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/06/casual-racism-and-greater-diversity-in-70s-advertising/394958/
https://flashbak.com/you-deserve-a-break-today-1960s-1980s-mcdonalds-history-in-advertising-29820/
https://profitworks.ca/blog/541-how-mcdonalds-became-the-leader-fast-food-industry-marketing-strategy
This is an interesting further read of McDonald's efforts in the 70s to target African American consumer groups. https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/06/casual-racism-and-greater-diversity-in-70s-advertising/394958/
For anyone asking 'Where's Ronald McDonald?!', here's his glow up during those decades.
