Prescott's Design Blog

I wore a Rondald McDonald shit as a kid all the time.

Yes, but looking back, isn’t that a rather strange thing to wear?

I actually had a sleeveless t-shirt for “Clan of the Cave Bear” which is a very not-for-kids fantasy novel. Where did that even come from?

As a kid I didn’t think anything of it. Looking back I’m a little taken back by it only becuase it’s not something I see everyday. I’m sure if they had kept it up and had people wearing their clothes like Nike or Pepsi has then I wouldn’t think twice.

I think what’s peculiar about this ad is the disjuncture between the people and the clothing that they are wearing. Although oversized sweatshirts of the time were big (all puns intended), it seems as though the clothing isn’t made for the people “wearing” them. It’s like a face-in-the-hole where you suddenly become a large and muscular. However, the image into which these people are inserted is simply a latent unflattering result of brand loyalty to McDonald’s. In short, it’s a mask for the unhealthy turn that can be taken by devoting your body to the product. In fact, I don’t know if this was the policy of the time, but I know that it’s currently McDonald’s policy not to depict obese people in their ads and promotions. If this was the case in ’88, then I would hypothesize that this image veils the very people to which they are possibly marketing to. This is not to say that skinny people don’t eat McDonald’s, nor is it to say that obese people became such by eating the food, but rather the company is trying to attract an audience which they have forbidden themselves from explicitly representing. That’s just my take, though. There’s also a potential discussion on race and gender here, but maybe another day.