This ad just.. wow. I would never have thought an ad for McDonald’s could be so poignant and moving.
This ad almost made me cry. I know exactly how that kid would be feeling. I have been in situations so similar to his that I feel an almost visceral level of pain while watching this; the funny thing is that, in that situation, you don’t feel hurt – you feel scared and confused. The pain comes later.
If it wasn’t causing McDonald’s so much wingnut grief to run this ad, I might actually be a bit disgusted at them for using such a deeply painful empathic appeal to sell fast food. Given the sociopolitical norms, however, they’re actually being daringly progressive.