by Cathleene Filmore

Created on: September 25, 2010

One might wonder why a company that is an American pop culture icon would need a new image.  McDonald’s grosses billions of dollars every year so why would they care about how the public views them?  In recent years McDonalds has been blindsided by events like the movie “Super Size Me,” where a man eats fast food every meal for less than thirty days until he is eventually a reflection of the super sized meal.  Fearing for his life he stops several days short of his intended target of one month.  Add to that the efforts of New York City to banish the Trans fat from their population and you have a mass attempt at an over through of the fast food industry.  We live in a world population that is becoming increasingly more aware of the role that diet plays in the health of their bodies. This new acquisition of knowledge along with a growing demand for socially responsible companies is why McDonald’s must change their image.   

A History of McDonald’s 

Dick and Mac McDonald opened a small restaurant in San Bernardino, California in 1940. The establishment was so well organized and efficient that it could move astonishing numbers of hungry customers through its doors in record time.  This efficiency led to the idea that would change the history of America and American Culture.  In 1948 the brothers became the big brains behind what we now know as “fast food.”  Dick and Mac came up with the “Speedee Service System.”  In the restaurant business this would become the equivalent to the assembly line pioneered by Henry Ford. 

Ray Kroc purchased McDonalds from the McDonald brothers in 1955; with it came the “Speedee Service System.” This was the mega idea that launched the whole fast food craze.  An overweight generation who was raised on Egg McMuffins for breakfast, Happy Meals for lunch and a Big Mac, fries and a shake for dinner now exists in America.  Now there is a McDonalds at every intersection and a different fast food restaurant across the street from each McDonald’s franchise.  Americans are feeling the bulge and learning to eat healthier by the droves. 

McDonalds Food 

Not only is a Happy Meal alone a calorie disaster but a Big Mac contains a whole days worth of fat and calories.  The Happy Meal that is intended for a small child actually contains more calories than an adult needs for an average

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>