#McDStories, McDonald's Twitter Hashtag Promotion, Goes Horribly Wrong

On January 18, McDonald's sent two tweets with the hashtag "McDStories." The first read:

@McDonalds
McDonald's

"When u make something w/pride, people can taste it," - McD potato supplier #McDStories http://t.co/HaPM5G9F

January 18, 2012 5:09 pm via web Reply Retweet Favorite

This was followed by a second tweet:

@McDonalds
McDonald's

Meet some of the hard-working people dedicated to providing McDs with quality food every day #McDStories http://t.co/BoNIwRJS

January 18, 2012 8:30 pm via web Reply Retweet Favorite

From there, the #McDStories hashtag was born, but probably not in the way McDonald's was hoping. Negative tweets about the fast food giant began to proliferate, prompting the New York Observer to remark that "some stories are better left untold." Tweets ranged from tweeting about being high while eating McDonald's to throwing up the food.

While the hashtag grew steam, McDonald's also had a back and forth with PETA on Twitter, in which McDonald's tried to correct some of PETA's allegations about using mechanically separated white meat.

This isn't the first time that a fast food company has lost control of its hashtag, points out MainStreet.com. Perhaps even worse than #McDStories was Wendy's hashtag of last year, #HeresTheBeef.

Check out some of the #McDStories tweets below:

Comments

[nick keopke]

02:12 PM on 12/05/2012

I worked at a mcd's for waaaaay too long, and ate waaaaay too much of the food. Ended up in the hospital because of it. It destroyed my digestive system, and now several years later I am still struggling to eat normal food. By the way the hospital did not help me at all, all they did was give me an IV and wait. I was the one who figured out how to remedy my situation, and that was no easy task.

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[piblogger1]

01:02 PM on 02/01/2012

An interesting take on the McD's Twitter "strategy" . . . is the fast food icon losing its marketing touch? http://wp.me/p1XSrf-66

[Kronos Nyne]

12:42 PM on 01/31/2012

They are so successful because the food is incredibly addictive like a drug. I don't eat fast food but I went in on a lil experimentation a few years ago with some friends. All I can say is that it is as bad as any other addictive substance.

[clebernpp]

08:15 PM on 01/30/2012

I am still amazed how McDonald can be so successful.
The food is terrible, the Drinks taste like medicine, and the service it's not that great either.
They broke all the laws of a successful business, but still manage to succeed...
Amazing!

[K Douglas Foster]

06:57 AM on 01/30/2012

Bad press is better than no press. They're lovin' it. Hey - I made a funny. OK, maybe not so much.

[K Douglas Foster]

06:53 AM on 01/30/2012

We're talking about it, so apparently, something went horribly right.

[mtotomzuri]

02:03 PM on 01/29/2012

After watching Food Inc I was shocked to learn that in America its cheaper to buy fast food than fresh vegetables. That's crazy..in my country the cost of a burger and fries can buy you tomatoes, onions, peas and other veggies for two or three meals!!!! Mixed priorities indeed...

[Northviewlong]

12:32 PM on 01/28/2012

I love McD's for a special treat. By-products are not harmful at all, and are delicacies all over the world. If folks like eating there, it's their business, and no one else's. I have never had any problem with anything I was served at a McD's franchise. We don't eat it daily, or even weekly, so I seriously doubt it will do us any harm, compared to most other foods available...including the "supposed" organic diets. This is America. Eat where you want to eat...and what you want to eat.

[ByersL]

06:44 PM on 01/26/2012

What's Twitter? Hash Tag? Huh? Is that when you're high and you're it at the same time?

[nitwitsRus]

03:12 PM on 01/30/2012

that's what the people who use
#tcot
think

[nitwitsRus]

03:14 PM on 01/30/2012

i mean metalcore?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TCOT

[baxtron]

04:10 PM on 02/02/2012

When is New Edition gonna follow up Cool it Now?

[zmfts]

08:38 AM on 01/26/2012

It seems like whenever the topic of McDonald's comes up, people trot out that tired, old aphorism about how their burgers and fries can be left sitting out for weeks or months and will never collect mold, therefore it's not really food and you shouldn't be eating it.

Uh, people, there are plenty of foods that don't spoil within that time period. Look in your cupboards and you probably have quite a few of them. Crackers, cookies, peanut butter, uncooked spaghetti, raw potatoes, pretzels, chocolate...all of this stuff can be left sitting out at room temperature with no disastrous results.

Does that mean all this stuff is loaded down with preservatives, or is it just possible that there are some foods that mold doesn't instantly attack?

[chrishazzoo]

02:11 PM on 01/26/2012

Great point!

[azjim11]

11:30 PM on 01/28/2012

no you can store in a wrapped package, open items will spoil mcd food is cooked brought to over 155 degrees when they drop below 140 they start to spoil, always toss food not refigerated with in 4 hours. I'm a food serv/safe instructor Mcd's food is not good food it,s cheap food Try a In-n-out you will taste the difference.

[drummer 40]

08:46 PM on 01/25/2012

"HashTweet" - Isn't that how they make McNuggets?

[pthesmith]

01:08 PM on 01/28/2012

I think you mean "#tweethash"

[ZeraLee]

07:22 PM on 01/25/2012

Their _A_ is the McMuffin of _B_ ad campaign is pretty stupid as well. The effort to manufacture a catch-phrase is painful to behold.

They *must* have noticed that Mc[whatever] has become a cynical, if not derogatory, reference in American English.

They would be better off highlighting the healthy choice changes to their menu.

[ZeraLee]

06:54 PM on 01/25/2012

I remember when the McDonalds sign said "1 million served". I liked their burgers for a long time. Even working there and eating it every day did little to change my mind.

But then I got food poisoning and bone in the meat a couple of times, and that was it.

After that, Burger King became my favorite. That lasted until I started getting a string of greasy, disgustingly tasteless burgers. Eventually, I discovered that company policy had changed and they started using microwaves religiously, for the sake of efficiency. Microwaves undo the caramelization of the bun (which is the point of toasting the bun), and draws the remaining grease out of the meat, making it soggy and tasteless. The worst thing you can do to prepare a hamburger is microwave it.

I cook my own hamburgers these days.