MCDONALD'S LAUNCHES FIRST GAY ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE

MCDONALD'S HAS RECENTLY LAUNCHED ITS FIRST TELEVISION ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN TARGETING GAY MEN. THE FAST FOOD GIANT'S COMMERCIAL, WITH THE SLOGAN 'COME AS YOU ARE', HAS BEGUN TO AIR ON FRENCH TELEVISIONS. IT FEATURES A TEENAGER SITTING IN A MCDONALD'S RESTAURANT GAZING AT A PHOTO OF HIS GAY LOVER IN A CLASS PHOTO, THEN PHONING TO SAY HE 'MISSES HIM'. THE YOUTH'S FATHER THE RETURNS TO THE TABLE WITH A TRAY OF BURGERS, AND SAYS: 'IT'S A SHAME YOU'RE IN AN ALL BOYS COLLEGE. YOU WOULD HAVE HAD ALL THE GIRLS CHASING YOU.' THE SON THEN GIVES A KNOWING SMILE AS THEY TUCK IN TO THEIR FOOD. MCDONALD'S SAID THE UNIQUE AD WAS INTENDED TO SHOW THAT IT WELCOMED PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. A YOUTUBE VERSION OF THE ADVERT WITH SUBTITLES HAS SO FAR BEEN VIEWED MORE THAN 220,000 TIMES IN COUNTRIES INCLUDING BRITAIN AND THE US, WHERE IT HAS NOT BEEN SCREENED.