Research Blog: Conventions and Code

My group has decided to make our commercial to advertise McDonald's Happy Meals. Over time, McDonald's has continued to become more creative in the way they include their own app for children to play on. Starting with their first Happy Meal commercial in 1979, the franchise has utilized different families and characters to promote the fun sized children's meal. In a Happy Meal commercial, you will find that there is the signature box that is either a plain red with the signature McDonald's arches or a box covered in the promoted character/ theme for the month. The commercials often include 30 seconds of laughing, dancing and eating. Additional commercials display a family coming in for a happy meal to find a pleasant surprise at the bottom of the box. Recently, McDonald's has resorted to using animation to promote the happy meals as opposed to the traditional happy meal characters (ex. Ronald McDonald). The company has also been allowed to animate the characters as a method to promote the toys.

Additionally, you may often find in most every commercial that there is a signature jingle and slogan. It typically follows the traditional tune "Buh da buh buh buuhhh" (C D E A G ), and precedes the phrase "I'm lovin' it". However, some commercials also base their songs around the toy being promoted. For instance, a recent 2019 commercial featured the song "hakuna matata" from the 2019 release of "hakuna matata" from the new Disney film, "The Lion King". The advertisement also conveyed the family as characters from the movie, strutting as Simba, Timon and Pumba did in the movie. Happy meals on occasion will do promotions. Whenever there's a new television show or movie, McDonald's will create a toy, after which they compel their customers to watch the promoted show/ movie. This does not apply solely to television but other methods of entertainment as well. A perfect instance is the early 2000s; the rise of Kidz Bop. McDonalds would give out a CD with each happy meal for children to listen to at home!

In conclusion, McDonalds has used a lot of the same techniques attract their audience, still continuing to receive brand deals and success. Despite using the same jingle, McDonalds continues to entrance its audience with its amusing commercials. From 1979 until 2019, McDonalds has never ceased to create an entertaining and family friendly environment through their advertisements that sparks joy and lures in customers. For our project, it has been concluded that the most reasonable method of promotion would be through replicating the principles/ technique of the Lion King. This is because of its relevance to this generation. However, the industry being cooperated with is also a careful consideration. McDonalds was wise in choosing a Disney-- a concept we will likely recreate-- as it is big among the targeted audience for happy meals. With every commercial of their favorite Disney princess or biggest hero on television, children plead for their parents to take them to McDonalds, ultimately increasing revenue. By following McDonald's stellar guidelines for this commercial, we get one step closer to understanding what it takes to succeed in the AICE exam.