Original ad published in the March 1992 edition of EGM (no. 32) |
Historical Background
Before McDonald's garnered the terrible reputation of today, there was actually some kind of magical aura that allowed the fast-food giant some lax social behavior. McKids (1992), by Virgin Games, tries to unite video gamers with their french fries with a generic platforming experience. It's a no-so-subtle piece of marketing that could only be made--and purchased--before our health-conciuos times.
The great McDonald's divide can be traced to the media uproar caused by shock documentary Super Size Me (2004). The big M would transform its menu shortly after. Today, McDo has somewhat successfully mutated from an artery-clogging corporation to a gigantic food chain that offers some kind of healthy eating options.
You had to admire the marketing cojones they displayed in the 90s by believing gamers would buy their crappy product just because their burgers delivered an efficient and cheap way to fuel countless of hours of fun with their home consoles. In that respect, junk food can't be beat. It's the best bang for the buck if you're a serious games, calorie wise, willing to sacrifice body and soul to beat challenging games.
Doctors would opine differently. Doctors who have never played an 8-hour marathon of Dark Souls or Mario Kart.
Graphical Analysis
Yep, its ugly, politically correct and very generic, just like the game itself. What's interesting is that this ad you see here was just the end of a 16-page insert included in the March 1992 issue of EGM that was a sort of mini-guide for the game. So, in reality, this was an 8-page spread advertisement paid by McDonald's.
McKids for NES Print Ad Copy:
M.C Kids
One cool game. Two cool kids.
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