Come As You Are

A recent McDonald's ad sets a scene many of us see every day, but throws in a twist. Two cultured-looking men are reading at a table in a highbrow coffee house when the first friend—neck wrapped in a scarf—mentions that McDonald's now sells cappuccino. His goateed compatriot greets the news with an initially dismissive expression, but then smiles broadly and says, "That's awesome! I can shave this thing off my face!" As the first friend removes his scarf and sweater, they celebrate how they no longer have to call movies "films," and can now talk about football.

The ad takes pains, though, to soften the stereotype-bashing blow with a concession that these elements aren't necessarily pretentious affectations:

Friend #2: "I don't need these glasses. These are fake."

Friend #1: "I do need mine. They're very real."

In a post at the MarketingProfs Daily Fix blog, Ted Mininni distills the humorous ad's multiple messages: "You don't have to be a snobbish, artsy type—real or affected—to enjoy a good 'cultured' brew. You don't have to spend a lot of money to get great café beverages, either. You can actually be who you are—walk into McDonald's Café and get a great cup of Joe while being an average Joe."

The ad becomes Marketing Inspiration by accomplishing all of this and making us laugh—whether at or with the stereotype—in only 30 seconds.

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