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James Franco Wrote a Long, Strange Ad for McDonald's in the Washington Post
"When I needed McDonald's, McDonald's was there for me. When no one else was." James Franco offered an unlikely endorsement of the fast-food chain Thursday—at a time when its treatment of employees is...
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Growing Up the Son of a 'Mad Man' in Advertising's Golden Era
There are many memories of the so-called "golden era" of advertising that are conjured up expertly by Matthew Weiner's Mad Men on AMC Networks. Largely, it is the effort to create a world that somehow...
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As the McDonald’s vs. Taco Bell Breakfast War Rages On, More Brands Join the...
Free breakfast. It's the latest marketing strategy two fast-food giants are wielding in what has been dubbed "the breakfast war." The stakes are high—fast-food breakfast sales last year rang up $34.5...
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Max Greenfield Helps the Hipster Hamburglar Push McDonald's Sirloin Burgers
The Hamburglar got the Internet's attention last week—the jury is still out on whether he's hot or creepy—but he won't be pitching the Sirloin Burger on TV, at least not this month. That job has been...
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After All That, the Hamburglar's First Video Is One Big Joke About His...
Are we sure we want the Hamburglar back? The cartoon character, who was reincarnated after a 13-year hiatus as a real live human man—whom the Internet simultaneously reviled and love—took over...
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Watch Out, New Hamburglar, Old Hamburglar Is Out of Jail and on the Road Again
If you're underwhelmed by the new Hamburglar's antics so far—and are pining for the original criminal himself—you're in luck, thanks to a spec campaign from production company Whiskey Tongue. The...
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UPDATE: T-Mobile Appears to Pull Twitter Ad After Backlash
T-Mobile walked into a hornet's nest on Twitter after buying today's Promoted Trend—which costs around $200,000—and employing the hashtag #NeverSettleForVerizon. Many former T-Mobile customers tweeted...
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The Sticky Story of Krazy Glue (and How It Holds Our Lives Together)
In 1968, the Japanese chemical company Toagosei began selling a fast-bonding glue called Aron Alpha. The name didn't exactly roll off the tongue. But neither did the glue's chemical name, which was...
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Activists Pressure FIFA Sponsors Over ‘Horrific’ Working Conditions in Qatar
Brand reputation matters. At least that's what workers' rights advocates were hoping when they kicked off efforts earlier this week to get sponsors of FIFA—including Adidas, Kia, Hyundai, Gazprom,...
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'Unboxing' YouTube Marketers Are Accused of Tricking Kids
The YouTube Kids app can sometimes feel like a shopping channel, with videos upon videos of kids unboxing toys. The clips star pitch-kids who have mastered the art of the sale. These YouTube child...
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Fast-Food Mascots That Should Live Again, and Who Should Stay Dead
Last week, KFC gave Colonel Harland Sanders a makeover, tapping SNL veteran Darrell Hammond for the return. Earlier this month, McDonald's brought back the Hamburglar, who was simultaneously reviled...
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Vilified World Cup Brands Should Wonder if FIFA Sponsorship Is Worth the Trouble
It was not a good day to be a World Cup sponsor. The anti-FIFA sentiment is growing so vocal and the corruption so deep that brands are starting to have doubts about their affiliations with the...
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How the Build-Your-Own Meal Craze Is Reshaping Restaurants
As fast-food giants like McDonald's struggle to get their sizzle back, fast-casual restaurants like Chipotle and Shake Shack have flourished. Fast-casual revenue grew 13 percent in 2014, 10 times that...
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How Food Brands Can Nail Instagram
With 300 million monthly users and a burgeoning community of foodie photogs, Instagram has become hashtag heaven for fast-food restaurants and snack brands. A review of more than 8 million food posts...
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McDonald's Hires an Ex-Obama Aide for PR and a New Global CMO
McDonald's today announced two key hires who will be tasked with helping the brand build a more progressive company. The fast-food giant tapped Silvia Lagnado, former chief marketing officer for...
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Here Are 5 Tips for Making McDonald's a 'Modern, Progressive' Burger Brand
McDonald's hasn't been lovin' it for some time. Sales are sliding, revenue is down, and fast-casual chains are booming. Its image needs a major refresh. Which is why the fast-food behemoth yesterday...
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Quiz: Can You Match the Fast-Food Chain With Its Old-School Tagline?
It's hard to forget a fast-food chain's tagline. The ads are everywhere, the restaurants are everywhere and those jingles are so darn catchy. But long after they're gone, can you still remember...
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How Snapchat's CEO Plans to Conquer the Advertising World
Evan Spiegel admits to being a little nervous ahead of his first trip to the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. That's understandable. At 25—an age when many college grads are still...
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Ad of the Day: McDonald's Just Invented Pretty Cool Takeout Packaging for...
CANNES, France—Advertisers are pretty obsessed with cycling lately, judging by a number of remarkable campaigns that have been entered in the Cannes Lions festival here. (Look for a couple of...
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Can McDonald's Turn an Awkward Blind Date Into Something That's Actually Fun?
McDonald's won't just sate your hunger and comfort you when you're down. It will actually save your aborted love life. Or so claims a new U.K. ad from Leo Burnett London. The burger chain plays...
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