![Picture](/uploads/4/7/9/0/47907205/1425668418.png)
In the early 1920s a public relationist, Edward Bernays, created the Engineering of Consent Theory that manipulates people’s minds which leads to controlling behavior. In Bernays' book Propaganda, he describes Americans as “fundamentally irrational” (185), believing that it is easy to trick U.S. citizens because they visualize objects without reason. Thus, big companies have leverage because Bernays found a way to make consumers engage with and crave businesses. He concludes, “We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of” (83), to depict that people’s ideas and opinions are influenced by powerful corporations. Companies impact consumers’ minds through advertisements, whether in a magazine or television, “men we have never heard of” expose their brand and trick people by displaying positive aspects about their product.
Competition is happening everywhere in the United States by businesses wanting their logo recognized more than their competitors. Thus, customers are under constant exposure to companies selling their products through social media, for instance on billboards and magazines. To attract a large group of consumers, businesses create advertisements to arouse interest and desire. One association that hungers for customers is McDonald’s, which spends the most dollars on advertising. According to the New York Times, “The company’s annual advertising budget has been estimated to exceed $2 billion” (1). It is absurd to believe that such an immense amount of money is needed to produce advertisements. McDonalds’ annual budget proves how desperate they are for consumers, due to the amount of money and time being used on disclosing their brand.
![Picture](/uploads/4/7/9/0/47907205/3050197_orig.jpeg)
The company’s determination to become popular through the use of advertisements promotes lifelong negative habits. The website Business Insider states, “American children see over a thousand fast food commercials on television every year, and hundreds more from McDonald's than any other brand” (1), illustrating that McDonald’s strategy is to target people at a young age. The company believes that when minors become familiar with the system, an attachment will start to develop which makes consumers buy the same food even as they grow older. Thus, McDonald’s generally advertises food with prizes and inspiring figures that attracts the younger generation’s attention. Despite on providing objects with food, displaying children’s interests can distract the nutrition facts that the adolescents need to be aware of. They are not familiar with the harmful ingredients because McDonald’s establishes a way to trick consumers. The company displays an illusion of how perfect the fast food chain is by appealing to people’s emotions. Since McDonalds’ false advertisements and promotions manipulates consumers especially ages ranging from 4-10, serious health risks can increase which prolongs as they grow older.
McDonald’s has adopted Bernays’ theory in attracting customers by showing people how the object can benefit the purchaser. The benefits of an object catches people’s attention, thus increasing their emotional appeal of wanting the product more. Micheal White says in the article, “Intelligent Manipulation,” “Our society has stopped manufacturing “goods” over that past few generations while we have been cranking out "desires" ever since” (1), to emphasize that companies communicate with customers’ emotions to make the brand more pleasing. Psychology connects with business strategies because people have a stronger urge to get a desirable object, rather than an item that seems like a requirement. In Propaganda, Bernays addresses how people believe that it is obligatory to buy a vehicle for transportation purposes. The reason why purchasers buy a car that has amenities, such as a sunroof or seat warmer, is because salesmen describe the features in a charming manner. Sales associates exaggerate on the quality of the machine by adding comments for instance, “You will look so cool with a sun roof down, especially when it’s hot during the summer.”
![Picture](/uploads/4/7/9/0/47907205/9362591.jpeg?319)
The most significant way to manipulate the company’s target is by presenting their fast food chain in a positive style. To make children aware of the product, McDonald’s has to advertise on the adolescences’ television channels. Amy Bernhardt says in her article, “How Television Fast Food Marketing Aimed at Children Compares with Adult Advertisements,” “Since children have difficulty distinguishing product from premium, advertising that contains a premium message should focus the child’s attention primarily on the product and make the premium message clearly secondary” (2), to assert that showing objects minors would enjoy can get their attention. Characters from movies and shows, for example the dragons from the animated movie How To Tain Your Dragon, were displayed as toys sold at McDonald’s. The company wants to present a fun experience to make children have a reason to eat at their fast food chain. Joe Kincheloe said in his article, “The sign of the burger,” “We can see that McDonalds represents a new kind of business… an entertainment based, fun-producing firm that extends to every last corner of the globe” (105), portraying that McDonald’s wants to exhibit a comfortable environment that convinces children on how great the company is. Creating a pleasant feeling for minors influences the youth to keep eating at the business due to the satisfaction of free toys.
With Bernays’ theory, McDonald’s received a strong advertising campaign that specializes with children’s interest because the company believes that the young generation gets what they desire the most. However as kids become more mature, they tend to lose interest on small toys. Thus, advertisements begin showing how food is intriguing by displaying free money. One example that gets older children’s attention is the McDonalds’ annual Monopoly game that takes up for about a month. Since 1987, consumers were able to order specific products that would contain two Monopoly stamps. The stamps are considered to be either an instant prize of free food or a space on the board game that has a chance to win a prize ranging from gift cards, movie tickets, and $1 million jackpot.
McDonald’s manipulation on how buying food can make consumers win money attracts a lot of people for example in the article, “The McDonalds Monopoly Fraud” says, “People visit McDonalds each year -- even fast food haters -- just to collect the pieces and take a shot at winning $1MM” (1). In fact, Beauty Insider states, “89.9% of the prizes will be food prizes” (1), to illustrate that most likely people will get free food instead of free money. McDonald’s tricks people because customers intentionally get the instant prize stamp, which has to be redeemed at the next visit. The “Daily Finance” article states, “Patron will likely spend money in addition to claiming their prize” (1) to illustrate that people feel like they are saving money because they spend for one item and get twice as much. Consumers’ become more motivated because they have nothing to lose, if they do not win the 1 million jackpot, at least they got free food. However in reality, buyers are wasting money because the urge of getting millions of dollars makes people constantly buy food even when their stomachs are full.
All of the enjoyment and kindness from the company makes kids love going to McDonald’s. Unfortunately, children can only eat at a fast food chain if the parents approve since the adolescents do not hold income nor transportation. Susan Linn asserts in her article, “Beyond Commercials: How Food Marketers Target Children kids,” “Corporations undermine parental authority by encouraging children to nag for the products marketed to them” (15), because it is expected to believe that kids whine and beg until they get what they desire. In the Wall Street Journal, Katherine Hobson argues, “If you didn’t take your kid to a fast-food joint at least once in the last week, you’re firmly in the minority” (1), as if it is common for parents to buy fast food for their children. Employed adults tend to purchase cheap food because, which says in the book Appetite by Christine Blake, “Parents are spending less time on household tasks, including meal preparation” (1), due to work hours. Especially coming from crowded cites for example Los Angeles, parents would arrive late to home and be tired to cook. To make parents approve of McDonald’s, the company sells cheap and quick food for the busy and fatigue adults. Other than that, McDonald’s has created the $1 Menu in 2002, which has “healthy choices” for active grownups. Hence, displaying salad for a cheap price can lure in any type of parent since it is more difficult to trick mature minds.
McDonald’s made famous athletes advertise the food to show their fast food chain as a healthy choice. In 2010, the company made commercials with Winter Olympians and had a slogan saying, “Now, you don’t have to be an Olympic athlete to eat like one,” which influences consumers’ eating decisions. Basically, the company is encouraging people to believe that athletes are successful because they get all of the nutrients from eating at McDonald's.
All of the enjoyment and kindness from the company makes kids love going to McDonald’s. Unfortunately, children can only eat at a fast food chain if the parents approve since the adolescents do not hold income nor transportation. Susan Linn asserts in her article, “Beyond Commercials: How Food Marketers Target Children kids,” “Corporations undermine parental authority by encouraging children to nag for the products marketed to them” (15), because it is expected to believe that kids whine and beg until they get what they desire. In the Wall Street Journal, Katherine Hobson argues, “If you didn’t take your kid to a fast-food joint at least once in the last week, you’re firmly in the minority” (1), as if it is common for parents to buy fast food for their children. Employed adults tend to purchase cheap food because, which says in the book Appetite by Christine Blake, “Parents are spending less time on household tasks, including meal preparation” (1), due to work hours. Especially coming from crowded cites for example Los Angeles, parents would arrive late to home and be tired to cook. To make parents approve of McDonald’s, the company sells cheap and quick food for the busy and fatigue adults. Other than that, McDonald’s has created the $1 Menu in 2002, which has “healthy choices” for active grownups. Hence, displaying salad for a cheap price can lure in any type of parent since it is more difficult to trick mature minds.
McDonald’s made famous athletes advertise the food to show their fast food chain as a healthy choice. In 2010, the company made commercials with Winter Olympians and had a slogan saying, “Now, you don’t have to be an Olympic athlete to eat like one,” which influences consumers’ eating decisions. Basically, the company is encouraging people to believe that athletes are successful because they get all of the nutrients from eating at McDonald's.
Having famous people talk about a popular chain gets costumers’ attention. For example Casey Hinds said in her “McDonald’s Unholy Alliance with Athletes” article, “13-year-olds like my son are strongly influenced by their idols” (1), to illustrate that showing athletes in commercials can bring fans to eat at the same place as well. Since these inspiring figures supports McDonald’s, younger viewers would believe that McDonald’s is healthy since their favorite athlete promotes the food. Making it seem that athletes trust McDonald’s with their health, fans would rely on McDonald’s as well. Athletes know that the company’s products are unhealthy, but active people still sponsor because they receive a collection of money in return. For example on the 25th of February 2015, Lebron James had an interview and told the reporter that the last time he ate McDonald’s was when he was not serious about being healthy. After realizing that the business was paying him, he added, “Every day. I just had it this morning. Got me a good egg and sausage McMuffin. All day. All day,” to prove that famous people do not care if they advertise food they do not eat.
![Picture](/uploads/4/7/9/0/47907205/6258833.jpeg?330)
Manipulating the younger generation by presenting positive aspects of the company can endanger their health. McDonald’s serves unhealthy ingredients, which the website, What’s Wrong With McDonald’s? states, “High in fat, sugar and salt, and low in fibre and vitamins” (1). A lot of their food contain Dimethylpolysiloxane, that can be used for non edible products, such as cosmetics. The article “Fast Food F.A.C.T.S.” states, “Employees automatically… serve unhealthy sides more than 84% of the time” (1) to prove that consuming McDonald’s does not benefit the consumers. The french fries is the most common side order that people buy because automatically employees ask, “Would you like fries with that?” to get the image of fries in consumer’s mind. These simple fries seem simple to make, but in reality the french fries take a long process due to the amount of ingredients it contains. For example, the french fries contain at least 4 different oils which maintains the yellow color and adds flavor. All of the calories their products contain can cause obesity, which would lead to high blood pressure and type two diabetes. According to the NBC News, “Obesity-related diabetes among children has risen” (1), thus concludes that the younger generation’s health problems is three times worse than before.
Since children will lead the future of our country, parents need to help them stay on the right track. Adults should make their child develop self control skills by awarding the minor when they choose the right decision. An example is the Marshmallow Test, where kids have to choose between eating one marshmallow right away or receiving two marshmallows later. When kids learn that eating two later is a better choice, they progress in disciplining their eating habits. Other than that, parents need to let their kids be aware of the real messages that advertisements portray. Miners should understand that toys and promotions are shown in a positive way to perceive that the fast food is essential, while in reality these products are unnecessary to consume.
Since children will lead the future of our country, parents need to help them stay on the right track. Adults should make their child develop self control skills by awarding the minor when they choose the right decision. An example is the Marshmallow Test, where kids have to choose between eating one marshmallow right away or receiving two marshmallows later. When kids learn that eating two later is a better choice, they progress in disciplining their eating habits. Other than that, parents need to let their kids be aware of the real messages that advertisements portray. Miners should understand that toys and promotions are shown in a positive way to perceive that the fast food is essential, while in reality these products are unnecessary to consume.