Why McDonald’s Burgers Look Different in Advertisements

The burgers seen in McDonald’s advertisements often look different from the ones you get in-store, and this is due to a mix of food styling techniques, marketing strategies, and the realities of food preparation. The goal of these ads is to make the burger as visually appealing as possible, showcasing the product in its most attractive light.

1. Food Styling for the Perfect Shot

In the world of food photography, styling plays a major role in how products are presented. McDonald’s, like many other fast food chains, hires professional food stylists who use various tricks to enhance the appearance of their burgers for advertising. These professionals are skilled at making food look as perfect as possible under the camera’s gaze, which often involves adjustments that would be impractical or impossible in a real restaurant setting.

• Proportions and Placement: Food stylists often rearrange ingredients in ways that are visually appealing. The burger’s ingredients are carefully placed to ensure that everything looks perfectly stacked, with no ingredients hiding behind others.

• Substitute Ingredients: Some ingredients in the ads are not even real. For example, the buns might be slightly toasted or have been replaced with ones that hold up better under the heat of lighting during the shoot. In some cases, non-edible materials might be used for props to achieve the desired look, such as using glue instead of ketchup or using wax to hold together the layers of lettuce.

• Lighting and Angles: Proper lighting is critical to making food appear fresh and appetizing. For McDonald’s advertisements, soft and bright lighting is used to make the burger look delicious. Special camera angles also make the burger appear taller and fuller, showing off the layers and giving the product a more substantial look.

2. Precision in Appearance

McDonald’s wants their products to look consistent in advertisements, which is part of the reason why the burgers seem so perfect in the ads. However, when you buy a burger in-store, there are often slight variations due to the human element in assembling each burger. Employees don’t have the time or resources to ensure that every ingredient is perfectly aligned.

• Size and Structure: The burgers in the advertisements are often larger, with more neatly aligned ingredients compared to the burgers served to customers. The sesame seeds on the buns, for example, are often placed in a way that appears more uniform than what you would typically see in the store.

• Consistency in Quality: McDonald’s strives for consistency in their food preparation, but when it comes to the real-world application of assembling a burger, there’s some leeway for human error, and the final product may not look as neat as in the photos.

3. Enhancing Texture and Freshness

McDonald’s advertisements often emphasize freshness, with vibrant vegetables and perfectly melted cheese. The key here is that the ingredients used for advertisements are often selected specifically for their visual appeal.

• Freshness: To make the burger look appealing, the lettuce, tomato, and other vegetables are carefully selected to ensure they appear fresh and crisp. Additionally, the cheese is often placed perfectly so that it looks as though it is melting just right, even though real-world timing may not allow for such perfection during actual preparation.

• Texture Enhancements: In some instances, McDonald’s may use certain tricks to enhance the look of the burger’s texture. For example, they might use a blowtorch to make cheese appear more melty, or they might apply special glosses or oils to buns to make them glisten under the lights.

4. Customer Expectations and Perception

The difference in appearance between the burger in the advertisement and the one you receive is often due to the expectations created by the advertisement itself. McDonald’s, like other brands, is well aware that food visuals are a crucial part of marketing. A beautifully presented burger in the ad sets the stage for customer expectations.

• Emotional Appeal: The goal of the advertisement is not only to show the food but to trigger an emotional response that makes the viewer crave the product. When food looks visually appealing in an ad, it enhances the perceived taste and quality in the eyes of the consumer. The exaggerated look of the burger creates a sense of indulgence, excitement, and satisfaction.

• Real-World Limitations: While McDonald’s strives for consistency in their restaurants, factors like speed, volume of orders, and the practical realities of preparing food for many people mean that burgers served to customers are more likely to have a more natural, sometimes less symmetrical appearance.

5. Psychological Marketing

The way McDonald’s advertises its burgers is also rooted in psychological marketing techniques that appeal to the senses. People are drawn to visually stimulating images, especially those that emphasize symmetry, freshness, and bold colors. McDonald’s has long understood the power of visual marketing, using high-definition photography and advanced styling techniques to present their burgers in a way that entices viewers.

• Desire for Perfection: Seeing a burger that is perfectly constructed and overflowing with ingredients increases the perception of its quality. In essence, McDonald’s uses this approach to make the burger seem “better” than what one might expect, helping drive consumer desire.

6. Realistic Expectations and Transparency

In recent years, there has been a growing conversation about transparency in advertising. Consumers are becoming more aware of the differences between advertised images and reality, which is why some companies have started to make efforts to showcase their food in a more authentic way. While McDonald’s continues to use food stylists for their advertisements, they have also worked to make the experience of buying their food more consistent with what is seen in their ads, though perfect symmetry may still be a challenge.

Conclusion

The difference between the burgers seen in McDonald’s advertisements and the ones served in stores is a result of carefully crafted food styling, marketing strategies, and the limitations of fast food preparation. While the reality of a burger’s appearance may fall short of the glossy, picture-perfect image shown in advertisements, it’s all part of creating an emotional connection with customers and showcasing the product in the best light possible. Ultimately, it’s about setting an expectation that encourages customers to engage with the brand, even if the burger that arrives might not be exactly the same as the one in the ad.