Gay McDonald’s Ad In France: 'Come As You Are'

It is commendable for McDonald’s to air ads of inclusiveness such as this. But I don’t really get the point. Well, we do have a lot of touchy-feely commercials from McDonald’s here in the Philippines, but nothing quite like this.

This advertisement shows a guy on his cell phone apparently talking to what seems to be his lover while looking at his class picture. When his dad was on his way to their table, he suddenly bid goodbye to the person he was talking to. His dad clearly does not have an idea that his son is gay. This ad is entitled ‘Come As You Are’.

"We wanted to take a look at how French society is today. We're very comfortable with the topic of homosexuality, there is obviously no problem with homosexuality in France today". While the statement sounds a bit naive in a country where same sex couples cannot legally marry nor adopt, the idea was to give a positive image of the brand: "The point was not to show someone who is troubled, especially a teenager. We know it can be difficult for some people, but we wouldn't have dared show someone who is struggling". -Nathalie Legarlantezec, brand director of McDonald's in France