The burgers shown in McDonald’s advertisements often appear significantly better than the ones customers receive in real life, and this discrepancy can be traced back to a combination of strategic marketing, food styling, and the realities of photographing fast food.
1. Food Styling and Preparation
Food styling is an art form that plays a crucial role in making fast food look visually appealing. Professional food stylists use various techniques to enhance the appearance of the food, making it look perfect for the camera. For instance, they may use tools like tweezers to adjust small ingredients and ensure they look their best. In many cases, the buns in an advertisement are lightly toasted with perfect symmetry, while in reality, the buns served may be unevenly shaped or slightly squished from the wrapping.
To create the perfect burger, stylists often layer the ingredients meticulously. They may use toothpicks to hold the layers in place, ensuring that the cheese is perfectly melted, the lettuce is crisp, and the tomato slices are aligned precisely. In contrast, when a burger is made for a customer, it’s often done quickly, leading to a less polished final product.
2. Idealized Proportions
McDonald’s advertisements often show a burger with layers that seem to tower higher than those of a real burger. This is achieved by adjusting the proportions of each ingredient to make them look bigger and more visually appealing. The buns may be slightly enlarged, and the patty is often thicker than what is typically served. The proportions in advertisements create a sense of abundance and indulgence, making the burger appear more satisfying than it actually is.
This “larger-than-life” effect is intentional, as it appeals to the idea of a satisfying, hearty meal. However, in real life, the burger’s size may be more modest, as the buns may compress slightly during the assembly process, and ingredients may settle or shift as the burger is wrapped and served.
3. Perfect Lighting and Photography
Another significant factor that makes McDonald’s burgers look better in advertisements is the lighting and photography techniques used. Professional photographers often use specialized lighting to highlight the colors and textures of the food. This lighting can make the cheese appear more melted, the lettuce more vibrant, and the meat juicier.
In addition, these photographs are typically taken from specific angles that emphasize the burger’s best features. Close-up shots, taken from a slight angle, help highlight the burger’s ingredients in a way that makes it appear fuller and more appealing. These angles are carefully selected to make the burger look as visually appetizing as possible.
4. Artificial Enhancements
To achieve the perfect look, sometimes artificial items are used to enhance the burger’s visual appeal. For example, McDonald’s burgers in advertisements may be sprayed with a food-safe gloss to make the buns appear shinier and the lettuce crisper. Condiments may be artfully applied to give the illusion of being perfectly placed, whereas in reality, condiments are often messily spread across the sandwich.
Additionally, in some cases, real food products are swapped with inedible props for the sake of the photo. This could include using non-food items to mimic cheese or lettuce, giving a more uniform and aesthetically pleasing result than what is achievable with actual ingredients.
5. Manipulation of Food for Perfection
It’s not uncommon for food advertisements to involve some level of manipulation after the photo is taken. Digital editing can further enhance the image, removing imperfections, adjusting the colors to be more vibrant, or making the burger appear slightly more symmetrical. While this process is not unique to McDonald’s, it is a standard practice in the food advertising industry. These alterations create a flawless, idealized version of the product, which serves to attract customers.
6. The Speed of Real-Life Food Assembly
One key difference between the burger shown in advertisements and the one you receive at the restaurant is the speed of assembly. McDonald’s operates on a fast-food model where efficiency is critical. Burgers are made quickly, which means the focus is on speed and practicality rather than perfection. Workers do not have the luxury of assembling each burger with the care and precision of a stylist creating a photograph.
Real-time cooking processes also affect the burger’s presentation. Buns can become soggy from condiments or steam, and ingredients like lettuce or tomato may wilt if exposed to heat for too long. Because of the emphasis on speed and practicality, the result isn’t as pristine as what is portrayed in advertisements.
7. Consumer Expectations vs. Reality
Advertisers know that customers have specific expectations when they see a fast-food ad. McDonald’s is aware that people associate big, tasty burgers with satisfaction and indulgence, so they work hard to create an image that reflects this ideal. The large, perfectly stacked burger in the ad taps into these expectations, leading to a more enticing and appetizing mental image for consumers.
However, the reality is often different. When customers order a burger, they might be disappointed if it doesn’t match the image they saw. This can create a sense of dissonance, as the burger in the ad appears larger, juicier, and more flavorful than what was delivered to their table. Despite this, McDonald’s, like other fast-food chains, uses these images to create desire and emotional engagement with the product.
8. Psychological Impact of Food Advertising
Food advertising is designed to trigger a psychological response in consumers. Images of perfectly presented burgers are not only meant to show off the product but also to evoke feelings of hunger, satisfaction, and even nostalgia. People are influenced by the power of visual imagery, and advertisements capitalize on this by making the food look as irresistible as possible.
When you see an image of a McDonald’s burger that looks perfect, your brain starts to associate that burger with the pleasure of eating it. This connection influences purchasing behavior, and even though the real product may not look exactly the same, the desire for it has already been sparked.
Conclusion
In short, the reason McDonald’s burgers always look better in advertisements than in reality boils down to a combination of food styling, photography techniques, digital enhancements, and the speed of production in fast food restaurants. While the burger you get at the counter might not mirror the one in the ad perfectly, the techniques used in advertising are carefully crafted to create an idealized version of the product that appeals to your senses and desires. Despite the difference in appearance, McDonald’s continues to sell a product that meets the expectations of its customers, even if those expectations are influenced by the polished images they see in advertisements.
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