The above commercial might have given you a “warm and fuzzy” feeling, but it also reminds me of the “McLibel” lawsuit and the controversy regarding McDonald’s exploitation of children in their unethical marketing campaigns. These campaigns include: Happy Meals that come with free toys, playgrounds that are located in some McDonald’s restaurants, as well as school teaching aids with frequent references to the Hamburger Giant. By appealing to children, the children will then ask their parents to bring them to McDonald’s, where they will be exposed to fast foods that are “high in sugar, salt and fat.”
The strategy of marketing to children seems pretty smart…Why is it unethical? Children often have very innocent minds and they are not capable of making sound judgements independently. Therefore, it is very unfair for McDonald’s to lure children using free toys in attempt to distract them from knowing how unhealthy the restaurant’s food is. If I am a parent, I will not want corporations to take advantage of my children’s innocence. And as a business student, I am passionate to learn more about the importance of making ethical business decisions while at the same time avoid jeopardizing the benefits of the company.
