Meaty Advertising
Have you ever bought a juicy burger, well what you thought would be a juicy burger from the advertisement, only to be let down with a wet soggy mess in your hands? Most people know the adverts have been retouched and had many hours spent getting the shot just right to show off the burger in all its glory.
However no company has really come out and admitted this is what happens, even though we have all noticed the difference between the delicious images illuminated behind the tills and the sorry squashed sandwich you eventually receive in your box.
Up step McDonalds, who have recently come out and willingly accepted this is exactly what they do. They know the burger you see advertised, stacked bigger than your head, will not be the burger you actually get when purchased in store. McDonalds in a surprising exercise in transparency have made a short film to give their customers an insight into the process of how they create these images of "perfect burgers".
This process involves perfect lighting, great photographers, photoshop retouching and food stylists who are tasked with melting the cheese to perfection and strategically injecting precision squirts of condiments into the bun.
Is this whole process the worst form of false advertising or do we expect these images as a kind of "visual appetiser" as a consumer? Would we be disappointed if our fast food menus contained "real" images of squashed burgers and soggy cheese?
Here are a couple adverts we came across - retouched or real?
Are you as passionate about your burger looking "perfect" just like the adverts as this guy is...? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eREiQhBDIk