Here's what to do with the video below: watch it for about 27 seconds and then hit pause. Can you guess what's special about the commercial? Answer after the jump.
The food is all 100% computer-generated. As Jason Kottke says, it might put food stylists out of business.
Weird to see a non-Coke drink (Dr. Pepper) in a McDonald's commercial. Such a weird soda, since its not Coke or Pepsi, but may be produced by regional Coke and Pepsi bottlers around the country.
Same thing with how many Pepsi bottlers produced 7Up before Pepsi created Sierra Mist...
It is. My first reaction was the same as yours. It wouldn't surprise me, if McDonald's gets fined for this or at the very least a cease and desist order.
Also, this part is probably directed more at bc, the item they are selling has to be the actual product. So it is legal to use mashed potatoes for ice cream, if the product being sold is chocolate syrup, but it is not legal for Ben and Jerry's to use mashed potatoes to sell their ice cream.
Before you jump to conclusions, read the description about how it was created. They used photographic texture maps to overlay onto models...the result? a photorealistic copy of the photos of real food, with an added quality of depth. If that much is "illegal" then any postprocessing would be "illegal" as well.
You know, there's been a lot of "articles" about commercials on tv squad lately.
I use my DVR and internet downloads specifically to avoid commercials. I really don't need websites that I frequent to shove them down my throat because I missed them the first time around.
Enough with the commercial related stories already.
Well that's kind of my point. No one is forcing me to read this. And if this trend keeps up, I'll simply stop. Which I can't imagine would be what the writers of TV Squad would want.
Alright, rather than just complain about the problem, I've decided to do something about it. I used yahoo pipes to create an rss feed that duplicates the normal tvsquad feed, except for it leaves out anything tagged as commercials.
Here's a link if anyone else is interested in such a thing.
You won't see too many commercials using computer generated food. The only reason McDonalds can get away with this is because they show you that it is not really food. The ad is a gimmick that really makes you say "wow, that's neat technology" and not "damn, I want to eat that NOW!" But unless every commercial that features computer generated food images is going to turn around with a "gotcha! It's not real!", then the entire concept is dead in the water.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-23-2009 @ 1:42PM
bc said...
What? No more mashed potatoes standing in for ice cream?
Reply
7-23-2009 @ 1:46PM
Ryan said...
Dr. Pepper??
Reply
7-23-2009 @ 8:43PM
Jimmy said...
Weird to see a non-Coke drink (Dr. Pepper) in a McDonald's commercial. Such a weird soda, since its not Coke or Pepsi, but may be produced by regional Coke and Pepsi bottlers around the country.
Same thing with how many Pepsi bottlers produced 7Up before Pepsi created Sierra Mist...
7-24-2009 @ 1:59AM
c said...
There was lemon lime Slice before Sierra Mist.
7-23-2009 @ 2:15PM
nffcnnr said...
i thought it was illegal to use non-food in food advertisements.
Reply
7-23-2009 @ 2:49PM
Aml said...
It is. My first reaction was the same as yours. It wouldn't surprise me, if McDonald's gets fined for this or at the very least a cease and desist order.
Also, this part is probably directed more at bc, the item they are selling has to be the actual product. So it is legal to use mashed potatoes for ice cream, if the product being sold is chocolate syrup, but it is not legal for Ben and Jerry's to use mashed potatoes to sell their ice cream.
7-23-2009 @ 6:35PM
Eric said...
Before you jump to conclusions, read the description about how it was created. They used photographic texture maps to overlay onto models...the result? a photorealistic copy of the photos of real food, with an added quality of depth. If that much is "illegal" then any postprocessing would be "illegal" as well.
7-23-2009 @ 2:26PM
Nacho said...
You know, there's been a lot of "articles" about commercials on tv squad lately.
I use my DVR and internet downloads specifically to avoid commercials. I really don't need websites that I frequent to shove them down my throat because I missed them the first time around.
Enough with the commercial related stories already.
Reply
7-23-2009 @ 2:51PM
Wii60 said...
Adjab went under and merged with TVSquad.
Just roll with it, no one's forcing you to read it.
7-23-2009 @ 3:16PM
Nacho said...
Well that's kind of my point. No one is forcing me to read this. And if this trend keeps up, I'll simply stop. Which I can't imagine would be what the writers of TV Squad would want.
I dunno, maybe it is.
7-23-2009 @ 3:29PM
Nacho said...
Alright, rather than just complain about the problem, I've decided to do something about it. I used yahoo pipes to create an rss feed that duplicates the normal tvsquad feed, except for it leaves out anything tagged as commercials.
Here's a link if anyone else is interested in such a thing.
http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.info?_id=qFilSL533hGmqGah0EypaA
7-23-2009 @ 10:39PM
Wii60 said...
Well done. I'm actually very impressed. Most people wouldn't be so proactive. I might even use your feed.
7-23-2009 @ 2:55PM
Jake said...
You won't see too many commercials using computer generated food. The only reason McDonalds can get away with this is because they show you that it is not really food. The ad is a gimmick that really makes you say "wow, that's neat technology" and not "damn, I want to eat that NOW!" But unless every commercial that features computer generated food images is going to turn around with a "gotcha! It's not real!", then the entire concept is dead in the water.
Reply
7-23-2009 @ 6:42PM
Eric said...
Is this the ad? or is this the production company's shot breakdown of an ad already on tv?
7-23-2009 @ 3:03PM
Ashley Boyd said...
I'm more amused by "salt kissed"...if thats kissing I'd hate to see "salt frenching".
Reply
7-23-2009 @ 3:09PM
edventure said...
It must have been my food 'spidey sense' tingling, because when I paused it I thought, "That burger doesn't look appetizing at all."
Reply
7-24-2009 @ 10:02AM
Galley said...
What exactly was the point of the animation thing?
Reply