They want the consumer to associate different thoughts and images with the food, so it’s kinda like brainwashing — they just sort of show them to you and assume you just internalize it and believe it.

McDonalds is so ubiquitous and its client base is so huge that they don’t think they’ll attract new people to these stores with these specific ads as they are hoping to retool their image a bit to better appeal to people who have been there and already formed opinions.

So, the chicken nuggets are “old fashioned” or “hearty” or maybe they’re just trying to give you the impression that they’re big and filling. The idea is if you’re looking for any of these qualities or identify any of them with yourself, you will develop a positive impression of the product whether you want to or not.

The chicken sandwich is “spicy.” Not a trait usually associated with McDonald’s food, which is mostly sugar and fake fat.

The parfait is “suitable for women” or “conscious of its appearance.”

The french fries “fear change.” If you fear change, eat french fries off the dollar menu! You will lose little money and stay fat!

So yeah, this reeks of an ad put together by committee. No really strong sales message, just cliffs notes from a branding brochure.

But with McDonalds’ market penetration and lack of meaningful competition, does it matter?