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MNHQ

McDonalds Ads - tell us how do you feel about them folks?

609 replies

JustineMumsnet · 01/03/2011 16:22

Good day MNetters,
We've been asked if we'd host ads for McDonalds, so we thought we'd ask what you think. Would you object to banner ads (ie like the one at the top of the page) on Mumsnet?
Let us know.

OP posts:
MilaMae · 06/03/2011 18:37

Thats total utter rubbish Usual and unfair Amum.

Pizza Express isn't fast food at all thats the whole point. You can't nip in and out and it's bloody expensive. You'd be in there an hour and a half minimum if you were lucky on a weekend. While you're waiting kids can actually have a conversation and experience a restaurant setting. Also the food is sooooo much healthier and fresher. I've read several articles analysing fast food and KFC always come out worse,pizza the best as the majority of it is bread.

Pizza Express pizza on it's kids menu is tiny and thin,it's basically a teeny bit of dough with tomato sauce and kids can choose plenty of healthy things like mushrooms,olives etc to put on top. The most unhealthy thing you can have on it is about 3 teeny slices of pepperoni. With a sprinkling of mozzarella is practically no different to a cheese sandwich. The 3 teeny dough balls always come with a bit of salad.Thats assuming said kids don't have pasta. There is a huge menu filled with healthy options if one prefers. The 2 or 3 times I've been to McD I struggled to find anything remotely healthy I'd want to eat so I went without. Not so PE,it's very easy to have a healthy meal there.

To call me a snob is completely unfair,you don't know me and the fact remains I don't go either establishments as PE is out of my price range on a regular basis and I'd rather eat my own hair than feed my kids the shite McD serves on a regular basis.

bibbitybobbityhat · 06/03/2011 20:59

I think UsualSuspect makes an excellent point. There certainly is a huge element of snobbery on this issue. It is perfectly easy to eat a more calorific and unhealthy meal at Pizza Express than at Macdonalds.

No, their credentials do not bear scrutiny, as a company. But this is true of almost any global corporation.

southeastastra · 06/03/2011 21:03

yes we're all snobs Hmm

MilaMae · 06/03/2011 21:59

Have you even looked at the Pizza Express menu Bibboty?

They don't even have fries or fried food on the menu. The menu is groaning with salads,weight watchers pizzas and the entire menu is thin pizza, pasta,anti pasta and salad not fries and crappy fried meat(with very little else). You'd find it very easy to have a healthy meal at PE but bloody difficult at McD-that's the difference.

I fail to see how you can label anybody as a snob when you haven't even met them.

NotaMopsa · 06/03/2011 22:05

Brand me a snob if you like Wink

McDonalds is sooo UnMumsnet!

NimpyWindowmash · 06/03/2011 22:07

I wouldn't have any objection.

bibbitybobbityhat · 06/03/2011 22:08

Mila - I go to Pizza Express at least once every couple of months. I know what is on the menu there and it is not all low fat/salt/sugar. You can easily tot up as many calories as you would with a McD's Happy Meal.

usualsuspect · 06/03/2011 22:08

'McDonalds is sooo UnMumsnet!'

there lies the truth ....right there

bibbitybobbityhat · 06/03/2011 22:10

Btw, before you come back at me, my children are 7 and 10 so the pizza on the piccolo menu is not big enough for them.

I think this is something else we conveniently forget in Mumsnetland. That not all parents are the parents of babies and toddlers.

SalandersBro · 06/03/2011 22:20

it don't think McDees is unmn - from seeing the response to this thread and others. The ones who are most anti-McDees are perhaps the most..erm..vocal on any given day. most of us either like it, or haveother stuff to be concerned with than a choice of menu/advertising.

MilaMae · 06/03/2011 22:23

Healthy eating isn't all about calories it's about good fats/bad fats,too much red meat not enough fruit/veg etc.

The fact is at PE I'd be spoilt for choice if I wanted a balanced meal errr not so at McD.

Guess I could have a filet o fish.On seconds thoughts no thanks-white flacid bun,orange nuclear cheese,oodles of mayo and a teeny piece of fish fried in god knows what. Wouldn't even go half way there re filling me up so I guess I'd best have some fries to go with that Hmm.

WhensBedtime · 06/03/2011 22:24

no problem with it.
all things in moderation.

NotaMopsa · 06/03/2011 22:28

By asking 'Us' for our opinions it obviously does not rest easy with them.

bibbitybobbityhat · 06/03/2011 22:29

FGS Mila! You can opt to never eat at McDonalds. I never do. Its perfectly easy. Are you saying that as soon as a company advertises on Mumsnet you will not be able to resist buying their products?

MilaMae · 06/03/2011 22:29

Oh and my twin boys are 7 and the pizza on that menu is more than enough.

There are plenty of healthy adult pizzas,salad or pasta your 10 year old could have. The majority of a PE pizza is carbs,tomato and topping. The pizza is thin and they're not hideous stuffed crust or over covered with mountains of cheese,perfectly healthy for a 10 year old growing boy. There are loads of salads he could have to go with it and many of said adults pizzas contain a fair bit of veg.

MilaMae · 06/03/2011 22:33

No Bibboty I don't if you read the thread you'd see that environment and ethics aside looking at how many pre-schoolers are starting school already over weight and with obesity levels rocketing far too many mums are being swayed into buying McD etc and also serving it up at home.

Obesity doesn't happen by itself,it happens when mums don't give their kids the right food and it's a massive problem.

As a country we need McD advertising on one of our biggest parenting sites like we need a hole in the head.

SalandersBro · 06/03/2011 22:33

nota - not so obv. - it could be MN are being tactical - so when McDees are accepted they can point out that the vocal ant-McDeeistas are in a minority.
besides, it's 'their' website and could be just being polite.

SarfEasticated · 06/03/2011 22:33

i actually spend quite a lot of time on here while my DD is watchingbeebies reading aloud to me in LatinWink, and I would feel if there was a flashing McD banner ad at the top of the page, that I would be telling her it was a trusted brand.

Avantia · 06/03/2011 22:34

Life is just too short to worry about all this surely .

We are all grown ups and can make choices - I choose to ignore Boden - even when they keep sending me stuff through the post - surely we can ignore MaccyD's if we dislike it that much.

Advertsing is a way of MN making money and keeping on our screen - those of you who say they would rather pay to go on MN rather than have MD advertsing are very quite selfish - because alot of people who may get help and support from MN may not be able to afford ir need money spent elsewhere rather than a subscription to a forum - not very inclusive eh ?

I do take my kids to MD but they nag me more to go to Costa Coffee Shock

Avantia · 06/03/2011 22:36

what is it with parenst now a days - can't we say no to our children ?

trusted brand ? - No DC you are not having a macdonalds . end of !

MilaMae · 06/03/2011 22:41

McD is more accessible than Boden,it's probably cheaper to give my 3 a happy meal than to serve up a roast dinner.

And actually I think advertising on here works quite well.

I bought a couple of things from GLTC after seeing the advert,shocking service so I did a bit of searching and found GLTC has a long history of shite service to mners.

Now I probably wouldn't have used the company if I hadn't seen it on here.I stupidly though as they advertised on here they must be ok and Mn must endorse them ie only wanting good companies on their site. More fool me I was duped by the advertising.

The same will happen with McD which is why they want the slot,they're a business and are only prepared to pay vast sums of money on an advertising slot if they know they'll make money out of it. They'll make more money by selling more of their shite-to mums.

SarfEasticated · 06/03/2011 22:45

That's not my point Avantia, of course I wouldn't take her into MD's, but just seeing it around on something that mum looks at a lot kind of condones it doesn't it?

MilaMae · 06/03/2011 22:46

Avantia I've only ever taken my 3 once,my mother takes them about once a year.

I do say no I care about what goes inside you and I don't want any more crappy landfill toys so no we won't be going.

However some mums will see an advert with a healthy eating twist(which lets face it is what they'll use) and be fooled into thinking,it's on mn it must be ok. They will think of some way to seduce mums just look at the Disney ad.

Avantia · 06/03/2011 22:53

Some people may think advertsing works well ono here - some ignore it - they look at MN beyond the advertising . some people are gulible , some are not .

Ohforfoxsake · 06/03/2011 22:56

Perhaps you and I understand a balanced healthy diet and it's importance. Perhaps we can say no, always have the energy to say no and prepare something or go out for proper food. It's fine to say 'I' don't have a problem with it. But there are a lot of people who think eating fast food as a large part of their childrens diet is fine, normal, cheap and good enough for them. There is a bigger picture, a wider responsibility that we all have. And this forum is used by thousands, so for all it is a business, it has a responsibility not to promote junk food.

There are very good reasons why fast food ads are banned on Childrens TV and why MN have made it policy to say no to MacDs and Nestle. Wonder where they stand on it now?

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