Gay McDonald's Ad In France: 'Come As You Are' (VIDEO)

McDonald's has released an ad in France welcoming gay people to their restaurants. The spot is titled "Come as you are," and shows a young gay man eating in a McDonald's with his father, who doesn't know his son is gay.

It's commendable of McDonald's to display their inclusiveness, but it's unclear why they felt the need to air such an ad at all. Were French gay people previously feeling unwelcome in McDonald's?

***UPDATE*** Maxime Donzel of the French website Yagg.com interviewed Nathalie Legarlantezec, the brand director of McDonald's France, and got this explanation:

"We wanted to take a look at how French society is today. We're very comfortable with the topic of homosexuality, there is obviously no problem with homosexuality in France today". While the statement sounds a bit naive in a country where same sex couples cannot legally marry nor adopt, the idea was to give a positive image of the brand: "The point was not to show someone who is troubled, especially a teenager. We know it can be difficult for some people, but we wouldn't have dared show someone who is struggling".

WATCH: (via Yglesias)

Comments

[Shiroko Nezumi]

08:19 AM on 06/30/2010

whats up with the smug look the kid gives his dad at the end XD

[BJCC28]

02:29 AM on 06/25/2010

Chillout people and take it for what it is. An Adverisement marketed toward young gay men. Whether they are out or not does not matter. Whether we like MacDonalds food or not does not matter either, MacDonalds has made a BOLD move. Good on the French and MacDonalds for making this step. Very sweet, who knows where we will be in 10 or 15 yrs. Perhaps more adds will target gay men and women positively.

[Frank Brenner]

07:18 PM on 06/20/2010

Who cares? Their food is still chemically engineered bile, and it is killing people en masse. Mc Donald's disgustingly subversive food is the issue, not its subtly gay friendly ads. Plus, Mc Donald's knows how popular it is with the notoriously homophobic "urban" demographic in America, so why would it risk tarnishing its MIckey Dees-Nuts image? I hate this place, and I am not lovin' it.

[Sebastian de Fancamp]

04:42 AM on 06/19/2010

Come as your are, as long as you don't tell your parents and choose to stay in the closet. This is how I read this pub spot I keep watching it all the time on national TV here in France where I live and where same sex marriage and child adoption by same sex couples is outlawed. However, spokepersons from both Mac Donald and Mac Donald France declare that the ad shows a happy gay teenager in a country where there are no problems with homosexuality. This people better get new marketers in their company who are better informed and change their sample marketing groups. As ad is confusing, as social message is insensitive.

[Doug5059]

08:16 AM on 06/18/2010

So the food police are out in force again. McDonald's is cheap fast food. Nobody is going to consider it high cuisine. But, get over snobby attitudes. Who eats only foie gras and arugala?

And the gay commercial is sweet. Once again, cultural police are out in force. Does every kid have to be out in the way that the Perez Hilton's of the world might want? I'm glad McDonald's wants my gay dollars enough to try and speak to me. They won't get much from me but they will get some...

[berrycooda]

09:22 PM on 06/17/2010

Wonder how many Gay's will still stop at McDonald's...
Their food is good and doesn't cost too much...

Maybe some will sneak in there and get some food and eat it in the closet so nobody will know they were at McDonald's.

[simonleuf]

11:30 PM on 06/08/2010

"Come as you are, but don't tell your parents!" Huh?

This Swedish commercial is much better: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLpfHNuhZbk

[MsMarchHare]

07:58 AM on 06/08/2010

I just wonder what is supportive about a closeted young gay man, hanging up the phone before his father hears, having to listen to his father talk about being a "ladies man".

We don't even see the transformative and supportive food...is the Big Mac also gay? Is it also closeted? Does it have to listen to the Royale with cheese talk about being a hit with the Pommes Frites?

[DominickA]

01:24 AM on 06/18/2010

@MsMarchHare
Totally right on! I'm a 42 year old gay guy and was really hoping to see a cool ad with a gay teenage son and dad going to Mc D's and his being gay being just as right as rain. This ad is actually about being closeted to dad, because that was the very moment in which he should have said, "Well, Dad, actually, I want to tell you something very important. I'm gay." Instead, the actor just has this dumb chagrined look. How completely uncool! I'm glad this ad won't play in US, but, at same time, am shocked that even the protrayal of a gay teen is too 'out there' for Mc D's.

[VivaCohen]

10:55 PM on 06/07/2010

I also think the music was bizarrely depressing. I went away kind of sad. Basically, it's sad music, no sight of artery-clogging mush in a bag, and then a short scene showing a young gay man hiding the fact that he's gay from his father. I like the concept of supporting gay people, but I didn't find it inspirational or supportive in the least. It's just not making sense to me as a commercial, sorry. But nice try, Mickey D's.

[charlot]

10:09 PM on 06/17/2010

That is exactly how I felt after watching this. I don't find it positive or encouraging, to anyone, in the least. I find it sad and depressing, on many levels.

[VivaCohen]

10:49 PM on 06/07/2010

haha. I don't get it. It's like a preview for a Lifetime movie. Even the music is weird for a McDonald's commercial. I don't understand how this has anything to do with McDonald's accepting gay people. He wasn't even openly gay so how is McDonald's accepting him as being gay? I get that they want the gay viewers to feel like McDonald's is representing them and I'm all for that but I just think it's a very odd and ineffective commercial for a fast food chain to put out. Have gay people felt particularly rejected by Mickey D's? Will this make them want a McMuffin? Just odd all around.

[Steven Anderson]

08:19 PM on 06/07/2010

Not related to the subject at hand, I do have to say that McD's in France has items on the menu I have never seen in the States which are amazing in comparison to the typical international McD line-up. I am in France every couple of months and never miss an opportunity for a stop-by, whereas when I am in the States I have not been to one in well over a decade. Leave it to the French and their culinary abilities to jazz up anything...including a McD menu.

[jones]

09:31 AM on 06/07/2010

I spend hours and hours trying to cook with fresh foods as the French do and now this? Sigh,...

[Im4eversmarterthanu]

05:10 PM on 06/06/2010

This was aimed gay people in France? So I guess that means the entire country.

[johnmorgan]

11:52 PM on 06/06/2010

Yeah, the entire country that knew a war against Iraq would be a disaster.

[lippp]

08:15 AM on 06/07/2010

Wonder if they have "freedom fries" on the menu?

[berserk]

04:44 PM on 06/06/2010

okay.

[deepintheheartoftejas]

01:38 PM on 06/06/2010

An entire commercial for a fast food restaurant, where at no point do you get the slightest glimpse of any of the food...