You'd better not keep noticing McDonald's while you're hanging out in Paris

As a foodie, I hope to enjoy delicious French cuisine and try my best not to eat at fast food chain restaurants during my journey in Paris. But I remember the Netflix series Emily in Paris that I watched had a case about French McDonald’s launching “McBaguette”, which made me curious about the differences between French and American McDonald's in terms of product offerings and brand image. Luckily, I came across a series of McDonald’s out-of-home multiple times at some bus stops when I was hanging out with my friends. They represent the details of their products such as the crispy crusts of fries and nuggets, and made me mouth-watering especially when I walked a lot and felt a little bit exhausted at that time.

To be honest, I did hesitate about going to a McDonald’s nearby and getting some nuggets. I can tell that French McDonald's focuses more on building a freshness-related brand image. And their choice of location is smart because the OOH locates in places suitable for walking tours and shopping where people are easy to feel tired and need to be energized, and the image is eye-attracting.

Besides, at the bottom, there is a message telling people to live a healthy life, which is due to special French regulations about advertising in the fast food industry (to carry caution telling the French to stop snacking, exercise and eat more fruits and vegetables). I think I did not notice any fast food ads have such a quote of caution directly on their ads image in the United States.

When I was in the US, most of the McDonald’s advertising I had seen focused more on drive-thru services, quickness, and promotion deals. They relied more on TV and online channels such as social media to connect with younger consumers. While French McDonald’s media selection seems more traditional. They focus on communicating freshness, quality of ingredients, and bonding with local culture. The menu of French McDonald’s also reflected the localization, items like le croissant and le pain au chocolat could be found on their dessert menu, which provides more choices closer to local consumer’s habits.