Super Size Me

In 2004, a documentary was produced that forever changed the way many Americans see fast food. This documentary was Super Size Me. In this film, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock decided to eat nothing but items on the McDonald's menu, three times per day, for 30 days. And, if a McDonald's employee asked him if he'd like to Super Size it, well yes he would, thank you.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1Lkyb6SU5U

This shock-doc was, in fact, shocking. Spurlock gained 9.5 pounds just in the first week, 24.5 pounds total, and experienced heart palpitations and depression, among other ailments. Many viewers promptly renounced fast food, and McDonald's saw people up in arms seemingly overnight.

Managing the Fallout

For five weeks following the premiere, McDonald's execs stood quietly by, hoping that it would blow over, and only making statements in relation to Spurlock's alleged "overeating." However, when the film made its way to Australia, McDonald's Australia CEO Guy Russo decided to tackle the issue head-on. He launched a series of commercials in which he starred, and spoke with all the major newspapers, calling Spurlock "stupid" for the choices he made during the filming.

"We believe, and have always believed, that McDonald's can be eaten as part of a well-balanced diet. What Mr. Spurlock set out to do, which was to double his daily calorie intake, deliberately not exercise and over-eat, was totally irresponsible." - Guy Russo. (source)

To further try to dig McDonald's out of its massive PR hole, Russo began partnering more often with obesity summits and nutrition conferences. And, because Spurlock had specifically called out McDonald's for only offering seven sugar-free items on the menu, Russo partnered with Diabetes Week, launching the conference and speaking alongside nutritionists and dietitians.

Once McDonald's actually addressed the issue of Super Size Me, I believe that they did a good job. However, it should not have taken their PR team five entire weeks to adequately respond. By not tackling the issue head-on, it seemed like the company knew they had been called out, and were hiding.

March, K. (2004). The Awful Truth About Fast Foods. Medical Update, 29(8), 7. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.