When you see a McDonald’s burger in an advertisement, it often looks like a work of art. The bun is perfectly toasted, the lettuce and tomato appear crisp, and the cheese is melted just right. But when you get the burger at the counter, the appearance can be quite different. This phenomenon isn’t just a result of “advertising magic”; there’s real science and strategy behind why McDonald’s burgers look different in ads compared to what you get in the restaurant. The reasons behind this visual discrepancy include techniques in food styling, photography, and consumer psychology.
The Role of Food Styling
Food styling is an essential part of food photography, and it plays a significant role in how burgers look in advertisements. Professionals use various tricks to make food look more appealing in photographs. In the case of McDonald’s burgers, food stylists will often manipulate the ingredients to make them appear more structured and uniform.
One of the first things that food stylists do is to enhance the layers. The burger patty, for instance, is often slightly raised to give the illusion of more height. The lettuce, tomato, and other vegetables are arranged carefully to ensure they don’t overlap or look too wilted. Sometimes, artificial props like toothpicks or skewers are used to hold ingredients in place, making them appear neatly stacked.
In some cases, stylists will even replace ingredients with faux versions. For instance, a burger might feature a perfect slice of tomato that’s actually made of plastic, as real tomatoes can often lose their ideal shape after being cut or cooked. The same can apply to buns, where the edges are sometimes curled or shaped to create a more polished look.
The Impact of Lighting and Camera Angles
Photography is another crucial element in making burgers appear visually appealing. In the ad world, lighting plays a pivotal role. Professional photographers use soft, diffused light to reduce harsh shadows and highlight the burger’s textures and colors. This controlled lighting helps enhance the burger’s natural vibrancy, making the colors of the tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese appear fresh and appetizing.
Camera angles are also carefully considered. For advertisements, the burger is often shot from an angle that emphasizes its height and structure. A slightly tilted shot can make the burger appear more stacked and filled with ingredients. Photographers also use close-up shots to showcase the layers and textures, focusing on the glossy cheese or the perfect grill marks on the patty.
One technique often used is “macro” photography, where the camera is set up to capture extreme close-ups of the burger. This method makes every detail, from the sesame seeds on the bun to the drip of sauce, appear exaggerated and tantalizing. Combined with the correct lighting, these techniques create an image of a perfect burger that looks far more appealing than what one might receive at a fast food restaurant.
The Use of Props and Substitutes
Another factor in the disparity between a McDonald’s burger in an ad and one served in-store is the use of props and substitutes. Certain ingredients in the ad version of the burger might not even be edible. For example, stylists may use glue or other food-safe adhesives to hold various elements together in a way that would be impossible in reality.
The tomatoes in the burger might be painted with a gloss finish to make them appear extra fresh. The cheese could be slightly manipulated, or non-melted cheese may be used in place of the real thing for a photo shoot. This approach is common in food advertising, where the goal is to create a visual representation of food that appeals to the consumer’s appetite, even if it isn’t a direct reflection of the actual product.
The burger bun is another area where substitutes might be used. Food stylists may employ buns that are specially designed for photography, which maintain their shape and color longer than regular buns. These props are designed to maintain their perfect appearance for the entire duration of the shoot, which can last for hours.
Manipulating the Ingredients for the Perfect Look
In addition to props, food stylists and photographers often manipulate the ingredients themselves. For example, the cheese might be applied in such a way that it appears to be perfectly melted over the burger patty, even though real cheese might not behave that way under regular conditions.
The lettuce is often given a quick “splash” of water to give it a fresh, crisp look. But once that water evaporates, it can wilt quickly, leaving a soggy, unappetizing mess. By carefully spraying water on lettuce and vegetables just before a photo is taken, the stylist ensures that the vegetables look bright and appealing, even though they would not appear that way in real life if left sitting under a heat lamp.
Tomatoes and other ingredients are carefully selected based on their appearance rather than their taste or ripeness. A perfectly round, smooth tomato is chosen because it looks more photogenic, even if it lacks the flavor of a slightly imperfect, ripe one. McDonald’s burgers in ads are designed to showcase the ideal version of these ingredients, not necessarily the most practical or flavorful version.
The Burger “Assembly Line” Process
The process of assembling the burger for a photo shoot also differs from how the burgers are made in-store. For advertisements, each layer is carefully placed, with the goal of making the burger as visually symmetrical as possible. Each ingredient is perfectly aligned so that it’s visible in the final shot. The bun is carefully placed on top, often with the lid facing upward, so the sesame seeds are clearly visible. This attention to detail ensures that the burger looks appetizing and well-organized.
In contrast, the burgers served in the store are often assembled more quickly and less deliberately. The ingredients might shift out of place during the assembly process, resulting in a more chaotic look once the burger is wrapped up and served.
Consumer Psychology and Expectations
The visual appeal of McDonald’s burgers in advertisements is designed to tap into consumer psychology. Studies have shown that people are more likely to be drawn to food that looks perfect or idealized. Bright, vibrant colors like red, yellow, and green, which are prominent in the typical McDonald’s burger, are often used because they have been shown to trigger positive emotions related to appetite and craving.
When consumers see a perfectly arranged burger in an advertisement, they create mental expectations about what the product should look like when they purchase it. The idealized version in the ad increases the desire for the burger, making people more likely to buy it. Even if the real-life burger doesn’t match the ad’s visual perfection, the initial impression still creates a desire to eat the product, driven by the expectation of a high-quality meal.
The Importance of Consistency
McDonald’s, and other fast food chains, understand the importance of maintaining consistency in their advertising. While the burger in the ad may not exactly resemble the one you get, the brand still works hard to ensure that the quality, flavor, and experience are consistent across locations. This creates trust with consumers, even if the burger’s visual appeal doesn’t quite match the expectations set by the ad.
By setting those expectations, McDonald’s creates a consistent experience that allows consumers to form a mental association with the brand. When people think of McDonald’s, they don’t just think about the taste of the food but also the image of the perfect burger they saw in an advertisement.
Conclusion
The difference between the McDonald’s burger you see in an advertisement and the one you receive at the counter is a product of several factors, including food styling, photography techniques, and consumer psychology. While the real burger may not look as perfect as the one in the ad, the process of creating that perfect burger image is a carefully orchestrated effort designed to appeal to your senses and emotions.
In the end, the goal of these highly stylized burger images is to create an aspirational version of the product. It’s not about deceiving the customer but about showcasing the best version of the product in a way that entices and appeals to people’s natural desire for food that looks as good as it tastes.
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