Dylan Davis 1/28/14 English 102-057 Rondolone

Critique of Youre Not Alone

McDonalds has been the focus of health and wealth related controversy throughout the decade; bearing both the brunt of attacks against the quality of its food, as well as the devices it uses to sell its food to a disparaged audience. Last April, it gained a new point of controversy: Mental Health. The

Figure 1: People arent loving it

advertisement below is what sparked the controversy:

In Tim Nudd of Adweeks article on the advertisement from the week of the advertisements public revilement, it is revealed that the ad was part of a series, with other pieces focusing on ridiculous hyperboles, such as two corporate drones high fiving over the idea of a McDonalds product (Nudd). This particular piece was developed and distributed by Arnolds Worldwide, and advertising firm located in central Boston, known for its development of ads for Budweiser, PUR, Carnival Cruise and other highprofile names. The advertisement was spawned at what seemed like a perfect time: the experience of

the advertisement company and the idea that the outrageousness of the campaign would enable extreme parallels to be made, which would be accepted due to the current culture of hyperbole references and comedy emanating from modern media. As show in the figure above, the print advertisement, Youre Not Alone, displayed on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authorities transportation lines and stations, displays a woman in her late 20s, dressed in black, head in her hand, surrounded by a black encompassing background. Next to the shrouded woman, lies the title in white, Youre Not Alone., with the subtext, millions of people love the Big Mac. The problem with the image is not that it would suggest that people enjoy their food, but that the imagery provided by the womans state, the colors used in the advertisement, and the wording of the title imply, or are greatly associated with, a state of clinical depression. In the 2007 study, The Social Reality of Depression: DTC Advertising of Antidepressants and Perceptions of the Prevalance and Lifetime Risk of Depression, Jin Seong Park and Jean M. Grow state that, advertising can have more far-reaching influences on the way consumers perceive the social reality of diseases . . . (Park, 380) In their study of the effects of anti-depressant advertisements, they relate that the perceptions of depression and the effects and
Figure 2: The use of color and lighting creates a slightly inhuman figure, soulless and lost, with the physical characteristics of needing support shown

cultivation of these beliefs and stereotypes relating towards depression, especially as persistent in direct-to-consumer advertising (DTC), develop a defined view of the reality of depression, sometimes limited to a single source of reference.

McDonalds Youre Not Alone sell its self and its products, using the parallels cultivated from modern depression and antidepressant advertisement, working toward the absurd conclusion that the pain and anguish the woman is suffering through can be solved by a Big Mac; that the severe problem depression poses can be trivialized into a vendors profit.

Beginning with the most obvious, the stance taken by the subject of the advertisement is one associated and used when demonstrating or reinforcing the concept of depression. The subject needs to be supported artificially, unable to continue with the rest of their day or their actions. Additionally in its positioning the hand hides the face, demonstrating a want to distance the subject from the audience, a general observation of those suffering from depression ( the subject is often described as hiding behind a mask or hiding their pain from others, not wanting it to be seen). The hidden face shows that the subject does not want to be seem or involved with the audience or the surroundings, while dehumanizing the subject through the direct lack of facial features, which from infancy defines the basics of a human being in terms of recognition. As seen in figures 2-4, the subjects exhibit a sense of weighted helplessness, a mask or hidden face, and the use of these features to dehumanize them. The imagery used and the tone can also be seem in the Cymbalta, Depression Hurts, Campaign, which focuses on the bleakness of depression and the lack of self-motivation and actual self. These parallels are further drawn through the use of, or lack thereof, color in the advertisement. The subject is enshrouded by the darkness around her, creeping onto her figure in the form of shadows. These shadows are casted by the image of the woman, with the light creating them emanating from the white title of the advertisement, starkly contrasting the image and themes presented. The white in contrast to the black background both literally and theoretically represents a light of hope In the darkness. Similar themes are show in advertisements relating to the idea that there is an inspiring concept, shown in figure 2, 4,
Figure 4: This Unicef advertisement applies a physical distortion of the perceived humanity both in the facial covering and the actions of the model, attacking a symbol of joy Figure 3: In the image above, the wall and hand act as supports, and the streaking shows an additional representation of the "weight" of depression.

and 5. The text its self also shows the same theme; Youre Not Alone, both

embodies the concepts of light and hope, and presents a motivational concept to show light on the situation. The idea that depression is not something specific to you, and that there are others who have suffered through it, or are suffering through it along with you.

Figure 5: The white text and added images in white shown in this Australian advertisement are used to represent the effects of the help and hope of the program

Through its imagery and subtext, the advertisement attempts to draw conclusions that the subjects suffering is caused by their want of a big mac, with all the prior principles used to demonstrate the womans want of the product, focusing on the parallels drawn from the idea that there are others suffering from the want of a big mac from which accepting it can bring happiness. The advertisement itself upon analysis does the opposite, driving away its clientele with its intended parallels, and emblazoning those who see it as a purveyor of evil with the addition of their new crime. McDonalds has predictably distanced its self from the advertisement. According to Fox News, McDonalds representative for the Boston area, Nicole DiNoia, stated the ad was not approved by McDonald's and

that we asked that it be taken down immediately . . . We have an approval process in place with our marketing and advertising agencies to ensure that all advertising content is consistent with our brand values. Regrettably, in this incident, that process was not followed. We sincerely apologize for this error." McDonalds assured the public that the fault of the occurrence was not theirs, and that they could never have something like this happen in their system (Fox News). McDonalds has placed the blame of the incident, and rightfully so it appears, on Arnolds Worldwide, who took full responsibility for the advertisements use after it was rejected by the corporation. They similarly stated that there were precautions put in place to prevent the distributions of non-approved advertisements. Though McDonalds has distanced itself from the advertisement. It seems the damage has been done, and those who would look upon it as evidence of the evil McDonalds perpetrates will continue to see it as so. The comparisons the advertisement draws for the sake of hyperbole miss the intended mark, bringing negative attention towards the campaign, the firm, and McDonalds. The textual usage and consistency of the imagery with that of depression advertisement is clearly paralleled, thoroughly performing in its intended use. The depression based context of Youre Not Alone and the delivery of the advertisement has worked, bringing attention to the campaign, at the price of the seriousness of mental health. I guess when dealing with a dollar menu burger, you get what you pay for.

Works Cited
McDonalds Apologizes for controversial Big Mac ad parodying depression. Fox News. 11 April, 2013. Web. 11 January, 2014. http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/04/11/mcdonald-apologizes for-controversial-big-mac-ad/ Nudd, Tim. McDonalds Apologizes for Mental-Health Parody Ad it Says It Didnt Approve: Arnold says release was unintended error. Adweek. 10 April, 2013. Web. 11 January, 2014. http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/mcdonalds-apologizes-mental-health-parody-ad-it-says-itdidnt-approve-148498.
Park, Jin Seong, and Jean M. Grow. "The Social Reality of Depression: DTC Advertising of Antidepressants and Perceptions of the Prevalence and Lifetime Risk of Depression." Journal of Business Ethics 79.4 (2008): 379-93. ProQuest. 28 Jan. 2014.

Picture Credits
Figure 1: Originally posted at pic.twitter.com/IPbPd4ZH6a by I am Rahad, @ foreveRizel Figure 2: Thomas, Jessica. Nami: Get Help Series. 20089. Coroflot.com Figure 3: Vargas, Robert. Public Service Ad. 2010. For D.B.S.A. Figure 4: Aqilah, Abdul Khalid Noor. Unicef Depression awareness. 2011. Coroflot.com. For Unicef Figure 5: www.partnersindepression.com.au. 2013.