McBranding

There was a time when skeptics scoffed at the notion that a baseball actually curved. It must be an optical illusion, they said.

This provoked the famous pitcher Dizzy Dean. "All right," he challenged, "go stand behind a tree and I'll hit you with an optical illusion."

Similarly, some people today question all the money companies spend on advertising and branding and wonder whether they'll ever see a return on their investment. "Is there anyone who doesn't already know about McDonald's? Why do they need to advertise?"

A fascinating new study on McDonald's packaging shows us that advertising may be a sneaky curveball. We all have our doubts that it works on us, but it likely influences our purchasing decisions and brand perceptions more than we even know.