McDonald Ad Stirs Controversy In Taiwan

McDonald ad touches a sensitive topic in Taiwan.

The particular week when China decided to raise a ban on the depiction of couples who are gay on television, McDonald Corporation came up with an advertisement that targeted the neighboring country of Taiwan where a son is found confiding in his father that he is inclined to boys.

The advertisement lasts for around 90 seconds where the company has highlighted a sensitive issue which is generally considered to be a taboo. It is about the crucial conversation between a father and a son. The son gives a McCafe cup to his father with a note that reads “I like boys.” The father who was not expecting such a message leaves the table but comes back with a rather warm response.

Shanghaiist, a local publication house that belongs to Taiwan, the father responds by writing “three characters on the coffee cup which make the sentence read, ‘I accept that you like boys.’”

The publication house highlighted that after the ad was launched at least one of the religious parties in the region voiced their criticism over the ad.

 “Because McDonald’s is frequented by many children, it is especially important to oppose the promotion of same-sex behavior,” mentioned the head of  wrote the Alliance of Taiwan Religious Groups for the Protection of Family. The group leader is of the view that the company “rebukes and boycotts all enterprises that are polluting the next generation.”

In some Taiwanese cities it is legal to opt for same gender marriages but on a national level the acceptance of LGBT rights has not surfaced yet.

As per some reports, the commercial has been circulated more than two million times on renowned social media platforms. It won’t be wrong to say that the concept was powerful and has now become viral. On the popular video streaming platform, YouTube, the ad has managed to get 900,000 views and 4,300 thumps up whereas only 188 thumbs down have been reported on the medium.

The fast food giant has not responded on the request by Fusion for its comments on the Taiwanese ad. Prior to this, the officials of the company stated that the company is present in more than 100 markets which is given the leverage to create its own advertisements. Thus the ad content is not been regulated and it is on the country to produce as per their liking.

This is not the first time where the company has touched a sensitive topic, but earlier in 2010, a commercial was aired in France by MCD that showed a male student who was inclined towards his male class fellow. The concept behind this ad was “come as you are.”

Hence in a nutshell, McDonald is playing a great role when it comes to shaping the society.  The company has launched this ad to generate awareness which will help the company to play a role socially. Criticism on such ads is natural but the audacity to do so will bring the change.