Friday, October 17, 2008
McDonald's McCafe - The Intellectuals
McDonald’s recently began selling cappuccinos and lattes under their new McCafe brand. This new line of caffeinated beverages intends to put them in direct competition with the likes of Starbucks and Caribou Coffee. The ad campaign currently in progress, dubbed "The Intellectuals", definitely reflects that desire to steal some revenue from coffee shops. The ad opens in a typical coffee shop setting, with some soft piano music playing in the background. Two 30-something males are seated by a window, each holding their caffeinated beverage of choice. Both men are well dressed and wearing glasses. Let’s call them Guy #1 and Guy #2 for the dialogue.
Guy #1: So did you hear McDonald’s has cappuccinos now? [in a snobby tone]
Guy #2: McDonalds? [He scoffs, while swirling his coffee mug]
[His attitude suddenly changes from elitism to excitement]
Guy #2: That’s awesome!
Guy #1: Yeah!
Guy #2: I can shave this thing off my face [referring to the “soul patch” on his chin]
Guy #1: We don’t have to call movies “films” anymore.
[He hurriedly pulls his sweater off over his head]
Guy #2: We can talk about football.
Guy #1: I like football. I like sitting and watching football.
Guy #2: I don’t need these glasses, these are fake. [while removing glasses]
Guy #1: I do need mine, they’re very real.
The advertisement then chimes in to tell us that for a limited time, one can try a McCafe beverage for free on Mondays before 2pm. The final two lines of the ad are missing from the YouTube clip, but it goes something like this.
Guy #2: I almost bought a beret.
Guy #1: Don’t!
In these ads McDonald’s is poking fun at a supposed elitism that takes place in a fancy coffee shop. McDonald’s is telling us that we can enjoy a fine caffeinated beverage without having to dress up and pretend to be an intellectual. The ad does a great job portraying the villain, in this case the fancy coffee shop. We can hear the smooth jazz playing in the background, and one of the men is reading a book at the beginning of the ad. Anyone who has been to a Starbucks or any other coffee shop will recognize the setting immediately. McDonald’s is the hero, and it is here to rescue you from your mundane existence of wearing sweaters and talking about “films”. The two men in the ad are transformed by the discovery that McDonald’s now sells cappuccinos. Instead of being coffee shop poseurs, they can be real men again and talk about football! The advertisement uses humor to poke fun at the competition, and it works pretty well.
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4 comments:
I somewhat agree with McDonalds in the type of people that frequent coffee shops. That is what they got away with making the commercial that they did; a number of peopel can relate to being someone in a coffee shop, or seeing things like that go on. I worked in a coffee shop in hastings for a year and a half, and I could point some people out, and label them to a T. I think this was a good example of a rhetorical community within a commercial. Good choice!
I think that it is very interesting what McDonalds is trying to do with bringing coffee drinks that are similar to Caribou and Starbucks. I think McDonalds has guts kind of going head and head with them. I also think that the commercial does a very good job at portraying the attitudes of people at some coffee shops. Very nice analysis!
I agree somewhat with McDonalds portrayal of people that frequent coffee shops. I used to go to Caribou all the time and without fail id see at least one of these types of people there.
I also think that with bringing these types of drinks to McDonalds, that they have taken away some of the business from Caribou and Starbucks because not only are they cheaper, but they taste just as good! Nice job!
Great description of the ad. As others have said above here, this ad is effective. That is why i hate these ads with a passion! McCraps does a good job of stereotyping the local coffee shop dweller. What the ad does not show you is the people being duped into thinking that they are having a real cappuccino, but in fact it is instant powder you add to water. Listen folks, if you want a real cappuccino, go to Italy. the plane leaves from over there.
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