Fast food chains generally don’t have a good rep when it comes to healthy, eco-conscious dining. There is some re-branding going on, though, like at McDonald’s, which is moving heaven and earth to project itself as lean and green instead of mean.
This is how they do it in New Zealand, reports Mark Whybird: “This is what appeared on my tray. The fry in the middle is not real – it is printed on to the paper, and bent into a shape resembling this country, New Zealand. Here’s the text of the caption: Last year over 95% of the produce we used was grown right here in New Zealand. Our fries, for instance, are made from the highest quality Russet Burbank potatoes grown on Canterbury farms. Take a fresh look.“
New Zealand is one of the more easily recognisable countries on a blind world map, owing to its distinct composition of a North and South Island. This iconic shape must invite use in all manner of design — but to have your country represented as a French fry? If I were a kiwi, I don’t know whether I would be amused or offended…
Thanks to Mr Whybird for sending in this picture.
NZ as a chip? Why not. Most TV-news maps leave us off completely, so I guess it’s better than nothing.
Comment by Craig — December 11, 2008 @ 4:29 am
I assume the ‘hashbrown’ and cup represent Australia? :P
Comment by GalileoAce — December 11, 2008 @ 9:27 am
Definitely offended. When I moved to Australia as a child, people would amuse themselves by asking me to say “fish and chips.” This just rubs it in.
Also, the scale is all wrong. And where’s Stewart Island? And why am I complaining about a map in a Mcd ad? :-)
Comment by Fraser — December 11, 2008 @ 3:15 pm
fush and chups bro
Comment by rob — December 11, 2008 @ 8:42 pm
@Frazer – I don’t think the scale is wrong if you think of it as a 3-D view rather than a more usual projection. I was able to make a similarly proportioned image in Google Earth in just a few seconds. The angle was consistent to the natural angle that one views the McDonalds tray from, and from which the photo is taken.
But yes, Stuart island is missing… and it’s only the crumbs of the hash brown that I actually dropped in real life that put the Chatham islands at all… by sheer luck, they were not too badly placed, either! ;-)
@GalileoAce – as I’m actually an Aussie, perhaps I did indeed subconsciously place the hash brown for Oz!
Comment by Mark Whybird — December 12, 2008 @ 8:45 am
p.s. I’m thrilled to have my name appear on Strange Maps, too :-)
Comment by Mark Whybird — December 12, 2008 @ 8:46 am
I prefer the 100% Pure New Zealand logo.
http://www.logodesignnewzealand.co.nz/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/purenz.gif
Simple but effective
Comment by Brett — December 13, 2008 @ 12:12 pm
They’re called chups here anyway
Comment by Rob — December 17, 2008 @ 9:55 pm
thank u put we haven’t McZealand in my city
Comment by top — January 23, 2009 @ 8:49 pm
Great article. It’s funny to see how some big restaurants try to make sure you’ll have their food on your plate by showing you they care about your country or your values, but all they really want is our money.. :/
Comment by DInnerware — June 2, 2009 @ 10:52 pm
Vielen Dank
Comment by moon — July 3, 2009 @ 5:32 am
Muchas gracias
Comment by sun — July 4, 2009 @ 7:59 am