Slap on the (giant) wrist for Ginormica over McDonald’s ad
Cartoon character Ginormica’s attempts to order herself a salad have earned McDonald’s a rebuke from the Advertising Standards Board.
The supertall star of the Monsters vs Aliens movie featured in a Happy Meal ad, which the ASB found was misleading because it implied that the product came with a salad.
The ad featured Ginormica asking for the salad through a drive through window at about the same moment that an image of a free toy was shown. A voiceover saying “You can find one in your McDonald’s Happy meal” referred to the free toy, but some viewers complained that it implied the meal came with a salad.
In its summary, the ASB said: “While consumers famililar with the Happy Meal product may think it unlikely that the product contains a salad, it is likely that some consumers, perhaps those who are unfamiliar with the product, or those who know that the advertiser is quite frequently undating its menu, would think that it is now possible to obtain a salad with the product. The Board considered that the advertisement is ambiguous in this respect and is in breach of … the Children’s Code.” For the same reason, it also breached the ASB’s food and beverage code.
McDonald’s said the ad was discontinued on April 29.
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