I'm lovin' it, McDonalds!

It’s snowing on my way back from class. It is cold, it’s late, with work early tomorrow morning; but I need my dinner. Then I saw a big illuminated ‘M’ and immediately thought to myself – “McDonalds to the rescue!” Yes! It’s McDonalds. Quick, cheap and filling! McDonalds is a life-saver, especially if you’re a drunk student coming out of a club late at night. Now even my colleague would vouch for that, as he was still hungry and unsatisfied after a Korean dinner gone wrong. We ordered a seafood hotpot, which had left a lot to be desired. And then, there was McDonalds to the rescue!

McDonalds’ story goes all the way back to 1940 as a barbecue restaurant and it remained the largest fast-food chain restaurant in the world until Subway took over in 2011. McDonald’s is a perfect example of a successful franchise, where only 15% is actually owned by the McDonald's Corporation. The McDonald’s slogan “I'm lovin' it!” is consistent throughout the world along with its logo and the theme. The slogan was created by McDonald's long-term advertising agency Heye & Partners from Unterhaching, Germany. McDonald's sponsors events, uses celebrity spokespersons, and has adapted social and interactive media full-fledgedly by prominently using tools of integrated marketing.

However, the course for McDonald’s hasn’t always been smooth. It has been in the eye of the storm far too many times for its own liking, with a history of numerous lawsuits and controversies. There have also been several instances of McDonald’s taking legal action against any restaurant using the word “Mc”. And quite contrary to my opinion, my father can’t stand the sign of the yellow ‘M’, after seeing its presence nearly everywhere, which he believes is a strong overdose of McDonalds. For all its flaws and lack of finesse, McDonalds is a NYSE listed company that has created more than 400,000 job opportunities, especially for the youths, and almost always saves the day when you’re in a dilemma or can’t find a place to eat!