Wind up Geek’s Cool Japan: McDonald’s New Commercial, I’m Loving It.

By James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

I’m going to get this off my chest right now, I’m not fond of McDonald’s, at least not the North American version. It’s not McDonald’s food, it’s their marketing and how they’ve changed from a family restaurant to a cafe atmosphere, If I want to go to a café I would go to one that isn’t operated by a fast food company. That being said, I hear Japan‘s McDonald’s is run a little different from their North American counterpart. In the United States Ronald McDonald commercials may have been pushed out in favour of the “I’m Lovin’ It” jingle (based off the song “I’m Lovin’ It” by Justin Timberlake) in the world but in Japan they are at least creating interesting (and sometimes wacky) corporate commercials.

In this brand new animated commercial the story follows a young girl who applies for a job at McDonald’s after being encouraged by an employee who is a few years her senior. The employee becomes the girl’s senpai and throughout the roughly minute and 18 second commercial we see the girl make the mistakes that any employee would. But by using a gentle voice, showing paitence, and offering encouragement, we see the senpai help the trainee expand her job skills and grow as person. Near the end of the commercial the senpai decides it is time to move on. She is given a big send off with a bouquet of flowers and tears from her former trainee. The commercial ends with the current senpai (the former trainee) encouraging a young girl who will most likely become the next person to be mentored.

What I love about this commercial is the way it is presented. Yes it is set in McDonald’s and is meant to promote McDonald’s Japan to the masses. But McDonald’s becomes just a background setting. It is the characters, both employees and customers who become the focal point. McDonald’s is trying to say it’s not just about us as a corporation, it is about the people who make up who we are. I’m smitten by the animation style. The colours are vibrant and they make the backgrounds more noticeable. Good animation should make one think there is a whole world behind the characters one is watching on-screen. I almost want to step into the frame and explore what’s beyond on my own. I’m sure somewhere down that road there is an anime ramen shop with my name on it.

Source(s): Sam Manderscheid, Lucien Huang, IGON, and (オタク) OTAKU Academy Facebook group.

Video Source(s): RainbowStache Gaming and Anime YouTube channel.