McDonald's Billboards

Billboards We've Seen (a lot)

This is what it seems like going down the highway...

Burger King's New Look

Luis M. Alvarez, AP

Burger King had fallen behind both McDonald's and Wendy's in sales, and are looking to reinvent their brand with a new menu and restaurant interior (as McDonald's did recently.)

[Read USA Today Article]

Food of the Future

Food of the Future
As Inspired by Dippin' Dots

Why eat the same old foods of the past, when you could enjoy all your favorite foods in rabbit poop form?

McDonald's Happy Meal Toys

McDonald's Happy Meal (Smurfs) wdsiemer ii

McDonald's Happy Meal Toys

I have been to McDonald's a very limited number of times in the past decade, mainly for others' enjoyment. Their food does not appeal to me. There is something about the pale and processed look of the hamburgers that leads me to believe they are not made from cows at all. I must be immune/tolerant to the drug they mix in their food. Billions served, so my opinion must not be universal.

But those Happy Meals! I remember the excitement I'd receive in collecting my Happy Meal toys when I was a kid. My favorite series had to have been the McDonald products (like fries/cheeseburgers) that would transform into robot figures. I remember wanting to go to McDonald's just to complete the series. They currently sit packaged in a storage box in my basement. They'll probably never have any worth beyond the flashbacks of childhood nostalgia.

On my most recent visit, we took my niece and nephew. Their Happy Meal toys were Smurfs (I think I still have vintage glass Smurfs cups from McDonald's). I was jealous, and contemplated buying myself a Happy Meal to relive the golden days. However, that would have meant eating more McDonald's food, so I decided it was best to put my Happy Meal toy days behind me.

McDonald's Happy Meal (Transformable Robots)

Rumpelstiltskin

Renenactment:
Rumpelstiltskin taped to wall.
wdsiemerii

Taped To The Wall
William D. SIEMER II

When I was in high school art class, I decided to tape someone to the wall with masking tape.

Performance/Live/Action Art, right?!?

The teacher didn't seem to think so. I was scolded pretty harshly; not for taping someone to the wall, but because I wasted art supplies--masking tape.

I can't say taping a dozen people to the gallery wall in different positions for my senior thesis didn't cross my mind.

McDonald's Revamp / Renovation

I'll Take Some Fine Wine with my Big Mac
McDonald's Revamp Makes You Want to Linger

I remember reading a similar article about two years ago, but now more McDonald's are implementing the plan to go a little more modern/upscale. The McDonald's near my home in Cincinnati underwent the renovation more recently, and my opinions are mostly positive. I haven't eaten there, but i scoped the place out (so my opinion is limited). I'm sure there are different plans for different finance levels, so this may not be the best new McDonald's to showcase the changes.

It's definitely an improvement over the old. The place felt updated. The higher quality materials of the counterspace, menuboards and beverage station provided a "fresher" look. The colors and lighting are subdued which brings some cool comfort to the atmosphere. However, others have complained of the windows not allowing enough natural sunlight.

The biggest concern that stood out to me was the faux-leather/vinyl/whatever the hell it was on the booth seats. The place has hardly been open 6 months and they are filthy. It's that type of material that dirt sticks to, overtime builds a thin layer of grime, and becomes sticking to human touch. I hope the interior designers didn't choose this material for all the renovations!

I am definitely not a critic and I rarely eat McDonald's, so this piece isn't really worth it's weight in Double Big Macs with Cheese. Anyways, I'm going to go to the Golden Arches to linger for a while.