Fast food advertising - How is this legal?

[Cough]

For some reason I think the photos in fast food advertising have become more and more misleading in terms of the perceived quality of burgers in the advertisements vs what we get in reality. Research on the web showed that some have done some good analysis. For example the advertised McDonald third-pounder wouldnt even fit into its box.

Seriously, how come advertising standards permit this?:

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_9F9_RUESS2E/THuoZBWcU4I/AAAAAAAADhQ/1Qy2QthpTCA/s800/fastfoods-ads-vs-reality-mcdonalds.jpg

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_9F9_RUESS2E/THuoZL-Nr_I/AAAAAAAADhU/XRNwq7dMkKk/s800/fastfoods-ads-vs-reality-taco.jpg

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_9F9_RUESS2E/THuvJeRLelI/AAAAAAAADhg/o1iNMJe02c0/s800/fastfoods-ads-vs-reality-jacktacos.jpg

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_9F9_RUESS2E/THuoY87JJRI/AAAAAAAADhM/d9pvKudrorA/s800/fastfoods-ads-vs-reality-burgerking.jpg

[zz000ter]

I have wondered about this for a while

Just imagine that they sold cars in this manner

Maybe we should all pick a fast food outlet and on that day
buy a burger and then return it and tell the manager that it does not look
like the burger in the picture - false advertising

Sadly you have to pay BEFORE you receive the burger
you pay for the product - unseen

[Poulet]

Actual picture are too exagerrated. Low credibility. As much as advertised pictures.

I never saw a sad looking Whopper like this in store. Same with the Taco Bell and McDonalds. I think there should be a middle.

[sandikosh]

For some reason I think the photos in fast food advertising have become more and more misleading in terms of the perceived quality of burgers in the advertisements vs what we get in reality. Research on the web showed that some have done some good analysis. For example the advertised McDonald third-pounder wouldnt even fit into its box.

Seriously, how come advertising standards permit this?:

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_9F9_RUESS2E/THuoZBWcU4I/AAAAAAAADhQ/1Qy2QthpTCA/s800/fastfoods-ads-vs-reality-mcdonalds.jpg

I had the Angus for lunch today and it looked just like the one in the ad.

[stuntman]

I think the picture posted here do not accurately reflect the final product both before an after.
Whoever did the picks is just trying to get people overly excited by doing their own false advertising.

[GunnerX]

A false advertising within a false advertising. FALCEPTION!

[MrKap]

Not a single photo was anywhere near close to the soggy, real world versions.

[Poulet]

Not a single photo was anywhere near close to the soggy, real world versions.

Where have you been eating? Better change location.

[BornRuff]

I have wondered about this for a while

Just imagine that they sold cars in this manner

Maybe we should all pick a fast food outlet and on that day
buy a burger and then return it and tell the manager that it does not look
like the burger in the picture - false advertising

Sadly you have to pay BEFORE you receive the burger
you pay for the product - unseen

I think we all know what we are getting when we order at McDonalds or any other restaurant.

[CantMissADeal]

Where have you been eating? Better change location.

Based on his profile pic, all of them.

[Nettles]

Support your local restaurant/cafe or take-out place or burger joint instead of a major chain. I try to get shawarma's usually instead of burgers now because the shawarma places all have good values and they aren't chains (some of them are but not corporate ones like in fast food). The quality of ingredients is usually better and their product is usually better as well.

Pizza is the best example of this...pizza chains outside of ones local to a city are usually awful wheras a pizzeria might be good.

[MrKap]

Let's not forget customer service reps. Who the company says you're talking to.

http://i40.tinypic.com/dq403b.jpg

Who you are actually talking to.

http://i39.tinypic.com/344y1x0.jpg

[Superboot]

lol funny how people are complaining about how fast food looks when its prob the worst thing you can eat to begin with...

[peanutz]

Actual picture are too exagerrated. Low credibility. As much as advertised pictures.

I never saw a sad looking Whopper like this in store.Hahaha so cuuute you are defending the Whopper.

And I agree... I never saw such a depressed-looking Whopper in my life and I've had many... :D

BTW You can get a Whopper with and without cheese. If you look at the paper bag they give your orders in, you can see that one illustration has the cheese and one doesn't... :D

[peanutz]

Support your local restaurant/cafe or take-out place or burger joint instead of a major chain. I try to get shawarma's usually instead of burgers now because the shawarma places all have good values and they aren't chains (some of them are but not corporate ones like in fast food). The quality of ingredients is usually better and their product is usually better as well.

Pizza is the best example of this...pizza chains outside of ones local to a city are usually awful wheras a pizzeria might be good.Shawarmas are SO GOOD. Whenever I go to the mall I hope they have a Madina in the food court. If not... then one of those independent ones. Such amazing value for what you get :O

[MrKap]

What they advertise.

http://i43.tinypic.com/2evq8o4.jpg


The part of cow you actually get.

**********************

[Canuckerr]

I find the difference in the quality of fast food depends on your region.

To be totally honest, McDonalds in the states is DISGUSTING!
You can tell the difference easily. People complain how much cheaper Mcdonalds is in the states, especially their $0.99 nuggets. But, if you actually compare those nuggets to nuggets in Vancouver at least, there is a huge difference.

I'm not saying that Mcdonalds is good for you or that it's healthy or anything. I'm just saying that the quality difference from US to Canada is significant, imo.

[carmaster]

It's false advertising and should not be allowed.

[Marcanadian]

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_9F9_RUESS2E/THuoY87JJRI/AAAAAAAADhM/d9pvKudrorA/s800/fastfoods-ads-vs-reality-burgerking.jpg

Two-Face Whopper?

[Nettles]

Shawarmas are SO GOOD. Whenever I go to the mall I hope they have a Madina in the food court. If not... then one of those independent ones. Such amazing value for what you get :O

Lol speaking of...Villa Madina is probably the 2nd worst shawarma wrap I've had. It's not bad at all but compared to the other ones. It also has the least value in terms of price:quantity....the reason is because it's a nation wide chain just like fast food. Although I'd recommend it over McDs or Burger King but try out some other places for sure if you can. Especially since you live in Toronto. So many good ones in Mississauga especially along Queen Street South in Streetsville and I've seen a bunch in Toronto. Mediterranean food's also fairly healthy like mid-eastern but not as good in taste. When I say healthy though then I'm really referring to least unhealthiest since whenever you eat out, they do sometimes have to use certain preservative type ingredients and more salt/seasoning plus sauces to make it taste better which isn't that great for you.

[MrKap]

I feel sorry for McDonalds. They try so hard, but who wants to eat Fish Burgers and 5.00 salads?

If only they would accept they are a food processing reseller and get over trying to con the rest of society with fake ads.

They should get back to their roots.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtvcoAWPNJ0

[KDSet]

I've never had any of the tacos in the OP, but Burger King is consistently disappointing at best with their burgers being the furthest from what you see in pictures.

McDonald's, depending on whichever store and/or staff, is usually at least decent overall.

[dakota2001]

If your food looks that bad? ask for them to remake it, more like the picture, or ask for your money back.
I have had this argument many times over burger king poutine! The picture shows a gravy and cheese filled bowl!
I get hard fries, frozen cheese and a table spoon of gravy!
They tell me I have to pay extra for extra gravy! I don't want "extra" gravy, I want the right amount that is supposed to thaw the frozen cheese curds LIKE the picture shows! They are gonna cry for gravy cost? (powder and water) I ask for a manager or ask for my money back if they continue to argue!

[gilboman]

Shawarmas are SO GOOD. Whenever I go to the mall I hope they have a Madina in the food court. If not... then one of those independent ones. Such amazing value for what you get :O

Shwarmas are really bad for you, much worst than fast food

[jason9945]

For some reason I think the photos in fast food advertising have become more and more misleading in terms of the perceived quality of burgers in the advertisements vs what we get in reality. Research on the web showed that some have done some good analysis. For example the advertised McDonald third-pounder wouldnt even fit into its box.

Seriously, how come advertising standards permit this?:

The burgers are pictured this way so that you would know that an McD's Angus Burger has Red Onion and Cheese, compared to a regular McD's burger with the chopped union and no lettuce or cheese. Its not really that hard to figure out.... When the burger is actually prepared you can't see these items. :facepalm:


I have wondered about this for a while

Just imagine that they sold cars in this manner

They do. Lots of Auto manufactures use the most attractive models for their promo/advertising materials.


Actual picture are too exagerrated. Low credibility. As much as advertised pictures.

I never saw a sad looking Whopper like this in store. Same with the Taco Bell and McDonalds. I think there should be a middle.
The whopper pic is pretty much bang on for any BK i've seen. My personal fav is when BK throws the whole burger into the microwave. I love me some hot lettuce and mayo :facepalm:
Same goes for Taco Bell. Its just

[vaillancourt]

I've never really understood why people eat at places like McDonalds and BK when you can actually get a delicious burger for about the same price at Five Guys, Buns...

[umop]

I've never really understood why people eat at places like McDonalds and BK when you can actually get a delicious burger for about the same price at Five Guys, Buns...

It's a lot easier to find a McDonalds than a Five Guys.

[MeiserT]

I've never really understood why people eat at places like McDonalds and BK when you can actually get a delicious burger for about the same price at Five Guys, Buns...



Prince Albert's, Five Guys, Fat Burger, Burger Heaven, Peters' Drive-In, Original Joe's, The Works Gourmet Burger, Waltzing Weasel, Harper's Burger Bar (No affiliation to the cons :D )..... etc etc


Not everyone is privy to have one of these awesome burger joints in their neck of the neighbourhood. :cheesygri

But once you have a burger from any of these places, you'll never eat another disgusting McDs, Wendy's, Burger King, Dairy Queen etc etc burger again.

[KDSet]

There's only one Five Guys I know of in Montreal, near the Old Port. Isn't it like a good >$10 per combo though? Worth it, I'm sure.

[vaillancourt]

There's only one Five Guys I know of in Montreal, near the Old Port. Isn't it like a good >$10 per combo though? Worth it, I'm sure.

Have you tried Buns on Ste Catherine W? It's 4$ for a regular burger and 6$ for a double and they are absolutely delicious!

[BornRuff]

There's only one Five Guys I know of in Montreal, near the Old Port. Isn't it like a good >$10 per combo though? Worth it, I'm sure.

It is definitely a bit more, and McDonalds and other fast food places have a lot of cheaper options as well.

You have to pay for better quality, though if you are going to a fast food restaurant, you really are not looking for a top quality meal.

Fast food is cheap, familiar, and widely available. You can be almost anywhere in Canada, and if you want to spend 6-8 bucks for a meal and know exactly what you are going to get, you can go to McDonalds/BK/Tims etc.

[MrKap]

If any of you people actually worked in one of these places, or any restaurant at all, or even cooked your own food. You would know what a big greasy pile, McDonalds and Burger King, and Taco Bell actually are.


These places don't make it a habit to hire pimply greasy employees. These places make people pimply and greasy.

[CIS]

It's legal because of variability. All McDonald's has to say is that they STRIVE to make it look like the burger in the ad, and most times it does, but that variability will always make for exceptions. Actually, the Big Mac does look very similar to the ads.

[PhillipJFry]

I find the difference in the quality of fast food depends on your region.

To be totally honest, McDonalds in the states is DISGUSTING!
You can tell the difference easily. People complain how much cheaper Mcdonalds is in the states, especially their $0.99 nuggets. But, if you actually compare those nuggets to nuggets in Vancouver at least, there is a huge difference.

I'm not saying that Mcdonalds is good for you or that it's healthy or anything. I'm just saying that the quality difference from US to Canada is significant, imo.

I must have no taste buds. The burgers taste good to me no matter where I go. Maybe its the price that tastes good. I go for the dollar menu burgers.

[BornRuff]

It's legal because of variability. All McDonald's has to say is that they STRIVE to make it look like the burger in the ad, and most times it does, but that variability will always make for exceptions. Actually, the Big Mac does look very similar to the ads.

Realistically, the "food" in the advertisements generally isn't actually food. They do all sorts of stuff to it, like covering it in hairspray or other chemicals to give it the right look, gluing things in the right place, and using entirely fake substitute pieces, to the point where you would probably die if you ate what was in the picture.

[slowtyper]

I find the difference in the quality of fast food depends on your region.

To be totally honest, McDonalds in the states is DISGUSTING!
You can tell the difference easily. People complain how much cheaper Mcdonalds is in the states, especially their $0.99 nuggets. But, if you actually compare those nuggets to nuggets in Vancouver at least, there is a huge difference.

I'm not saying that Mcdonalds is good for you or that it's healthy or anything. I'm just saying that the quality difference from US to Canada is significant, imo.

Strange, I did not find this at all. I found quality to be higher in USA (when doing road trips, McDonalds is the food of choice!)

I found quality in asia even higher than USA.

[KDSet]

Have you tried Buns on Ste Catherine W? It's 4$ for a regular burger and 6$ for a double and they are absolutely delicious!

I'll have to try it out sometime. Salivating at the though of a burger right now. :D

[gilboman]

Prince Albert's, Five Guys, Fat Burger, Burger Heaven, Peters' Drive-In, Original Joe's, The Works Gourmet Burger, Waltzing Weasel, Harper's Burger Bar (No affiliation to the cons :D )..... etc etc


Not everyone is privy to have one of these awesome burger joints in their neck of the neighbourhood. :cheesygri

But once you have a burger from any of these places, you'll never eat another disgusting McDs, Wendy's, Burger King, Dairy Queen etc etc burger again.

Those places are ok, but I'll still choose to eat mcd's more often and its not a location issue. Those former places i can stand only once in a blue moon, mcds is a much more regular place i wanna go

[peanutz]

I've never had any of the tacos in the OP, but Burger King is consistently disappointing at best with their burgers being the furthest from what you see in pictures.

McDonald's, depending on whichever store and/or staff, is usually at least decent overall.Like one of the posters said, it really depends on the location. Yes, there is still variation within franchises.

I must defend the honour of the BK Whopper! They are my favourite of the fast food burgers and they are not always the worst.


Shwarmas are really bad for you, much worst than fast foodWhat's bad about them???

[Supercooled]

hate to defend the big corp but isnt most of the volume lost fro. packaging? if served straight from the grill it may look volumous.

[Agafaba]

hate to defend the big corp but isnt most of the volume lost fro. packaging? if served straight from the grill it may look volumous.

I dont know about the others, but McDonalds cooks burgers on both sides simultaneously, so they will always come out "squished".

[Metagame]

Shouldn't fast food be illegal? Since, after all, it is bad for people's health and can cause various sicknesses/health complications? Isn't it the Canadian federal government's duty to legislate and regulate the bodies of Canadians, which is why certain substances are illegal?

Oh, that's right, if you're a multi-billion dollar corporation that can hire thousands of lobbyists at will, then you can market cancer-causing products for all the federal government cares.

[AudiDude]

Like one of the posters said, it really depends on the location. Yes, there is still variation within franchises.

I must defend the honour of the BK Whopper! They are my favourite of the fast food burgers and they are not always the worst.

What's bad about them???

http://www.thestar.com/article/874987--the-dish-at-1-307-calories-chicken-shawarma-is-too-much-of-a-good-thing

Also most places, if you get their burger without cheese and it shows it with cheese in the picture, you still pay for the cheese. At McD's they have a hamburger and a cheeseburger, the cheeseburger costing more due to the cheese. The quarter pounder used to be offered in the same manner at two different prices. Then they removed the regular quarter pounder from the menu and called it the quarter pounder with cheese. If you remove the cheese, you still pay for it...

[sandikosh]

I've never really understood why people eat at places like McDonalds and BK when you can actually get a delicious burger for about the same price at Five Guys, Buns...

Five Guys is overrated. Ate one a couple weeks ago and I don't see or taste what makes it great.

[sandikosh]

Strange, I did not find this at all. I found quality to be higher in USA (when doing road trips, McDonalds is the food of choice!)

I found quality in asia even higher than USA.

I agree. Ate Mac Donalds in China, Macau and Hong Kong and they all tasted better than the ones in Canada & US.

[slowtyper]

Five Guys is overrated. Ate one a couple weeks ago and I don't see or taste what makes it great.
You don't think the meat tastes 100x fresher than what you'd get at McDonalds?

[Shimso]

Support your local restaurant/cafe or take-out place or burger joint instead of a major chain. I try to get shawarma's usually instead of burgers now because the shawarma places all have good values and they aren't chains (some of them are but not corporate ones like in fast food). The quality of ingredients is usually better and their product is usually better as well.

Pizza is the best example of this...pizza chains outside of ones local to a city are usually awful wheras a pizzeria might be good.

A LOT of people think a whole shawarma is better than a whole Big Mac.

But look at this (I'm not considering taste, ingredients, etc. just the quantifiable nutritional values, and I'm not considering weight since a lot of people will eat an entire of either choice):
One Shawarma tested by The Star (so yes, not every shawarma will have this nutritional breakdown): http://www.healthzone.ca/health/dietfitness/thedish/article/1135844--shawarma-pita-makes-a-double-big-mac-look-light-the-dish
Calories - 1,215
Fat - 73g
Sodium - 2,512mg
Protein - 64g
Carbs - 76g

Big Mac
Calories - 540
Fat - 29g
Sodium - 1,020mg
Protein - 24g
Carbs - 44g

[jason9945]

Shouldn't fast food be illegal? Since, after all, it is bad for people's health and can cause various sicknesses/health complications? Isn't it the Canadian federal government's duty to legislate and regulate the bodies of Canadians, which is why certain substances are illegal?

Oh, that's right, if you're a multi-billion dollar corporation that can hire thousands of lobbyists at will, then you can market cancer-causing products for all the federal government cares.
No, we are still a free country.....


A LOT of people think a whole shawarma is better than a whole Big Mac.

But look at this (I'm not considering taste, ingredients, etc. just the quantifiable nutritional values, and I'm not considering weight since a lot of people will eat an entire of either choice):
One Shawarma tested by The Star (so yes, not every shawarma will have this nutritional breakdown): http://www.healthzone.ca/health/dietfitness/thedish/article/1135844--shawarma-pita-makes-a-double-big-mac-look-light-the-dish
Calories - 1,215
Fat - 73g
Sodium - 2,512mg
Protein - 64g
Carbs - 76g

Big Mac
Calories - 540
Fat - 29g
Sodium - 1,020mg
Protein - 24g
Carbs - 44g

+1

People also think the take out hot food from the grocery store is healthy too. :facepalm:

[gilboman]

I agree. Ate Mac Donalds in China, Macau and Hong Kong and they all tasted better than the ones in Canada & US.

Its because they use expired meat and cook it in u sanitary conditions :D

http://www.chinasmack.com/2012/stories/beijing-mcdonalds-expired-food-scandal-ignites-public-anger.html

[gilboman]

You don't think the meat tastes 100x fresher than what you'd get at McDonalds?

Not really, its fattier and more juicy but i get sick of it fast because of the grease. Mcds angus burgers arent bad and i rather eat it more often than 5guys burger.

[nagasadow]

Burger baron and Fulton burger here in Edmonton are yummy mcdicks is gross and bk is grosser. When I was in Germany and Paris I had McDonald's and the burgers looked like the pictures and tasted even better

[PhillipJFry]

Burger baron and Fulton burger here in Edmonton are yummy mcdicks is gross and bk is grosser. When I was in Germany and Paris I had McDonald's and the burgers looked like the pictures and tasted even better

http://www.fatburger.com/home/

Fatburger

YEAH!

Once you eat there, you will discover what a gourmet burger really is baby.

[Metagame]

No, we are still a free country.....

http://i40.tinypic.com/nv8k9k.png

[x-factor]

If I remember correctly, it was featured in an episode of "Smart Ask" (I think) that old CBC trivia show aired back in the early 2000s.
Or maybe it was Inquiring Minds.

Burgers shot in commercials literally take hours of preparation by professional chefs and costs thousands of dollars to make.
The ones you buy at a fast food store costs maybe $1 to produce and is thrown together in under a minute.

[BornRuff]

A LOT of people think a whole shawarma is better than a whole Big Mac.

But look at this (I'm not considering taste, ingredients, etc. just the quantifiable nutritional values, and I'm not considering weight since a lot of people will eat an entire of either choice):
One Shawarma tested by The Star (so yes, not every shawarma will have this nutritional breakdown): http://www.healthzone.ca/health/dietfitness/thedish/article/1135844--shawarma-pita-makes-a-double-big-mac-look-light-the-dish
Calories - 1,215
Fat - 73g
Sodium - 2,512mg
Protein - 64g
Carbs - 76g

Big Mac
Calories - 540
Fat - 29g
Sodium - 1,020mg
Protein - 24g
Carbs - 44g

Well, if you want to make it a more fair comparison, the majority of people who get a big mac will get fries with it, while the shwarma is kind of a meal in itself so it is less common to come with a side.

Big Mac with medium fries, according to the McDonalds Nutrition calculator: http://www.mcdonalds.ca/ca/en/food/nutrition_calculator.html

Calories - 890
Fat - 47g
Sodium - 1290mg
Protein - 28g
Carbs - 91g

Regardless, the shwarma is still bad news health wise.

[Rainne]

A LOT of people think a whole shawarma is better than a whole Big Mac.

But look at this (I'm not considering taste, ingredients, etc. just the quantifiable nutritional values, and I'm not considering weight since a lot of people will eat an entire of either choice):
One Shawarma tested by The Star (so yes, not every shawarma will have this nutritional breakdown): http://www.healthzone.ca/health/dietfitness/thedish/article/1135844--shawarma-pita-makes-a-double-big-mac-look-light-the-dish
Calories - 1,215
Fat - 73g
Sodium - 2,512mg
Protein - 64g
Carbs - 76g

Big Mac
Calories - 540
Fat - 29g
Sodium - 1,020mg
Protein - 24g
Carbs - 44g

People are idiots. They justify eating anything outside as "healthy". Ex: Ordering a salad covered with dressing + an iced tea with a steak.

[BornRuff]

People are idiots. They justify eating anything outside as "healthy". Ex: Ordering a salad covered with dressing + an iced tea with a steak.

Lol, people assuming that anything called a "salad" is healthy is one of the worst eating trends of the last little while.

People will get a salad, but it will have fried chicken pieces on it and it will be covered in creamy dressing and they assume it is healthy, when in reality, it has more fat, calories, and sodium than just getting a big mac.

[jason9945]

Well, if you want to make it a more fair comparison, the majority of people who get a big mac will get fries with it, while the shwarma is kind of a meal in itself so it is less common to come with a side.


Most shwarma places places have fried potatoes as a side. I see people have them all the time.

[nagasadow]

http://www.fatburger.com/home/

Fatburger

YEAH!

Once you eat there, you will discover what a gourmet burger really is baby.

fat burger i didnt like though

[beleafer81]

I've never really understood why people eat at places like McDonalds and BK when you can actually get a delicious burger for about the same price at Five Guys, Buns...


I tried 5 guys last week and was in complete shock at the price. Their cheeseburger was $7.50!! WTH?!! I beleve it was $3.50 for the small fries and $3 for a drink. I ordered only a cheeseburger and fries and no drink and it was about $13 after taxes. Not worth the premium AT ALL or the massive long line up. Too much hype IMO.

I think your best bet is to find a good chip truck in your neibourhood, every neibourhood has them. There is typically better value at one of these places than any fast food joint and I dont feel like crap after eating there.