McDonald's Bails On Age Old USP Concept

Speaking at AdWatch: Outlook 2004, McDonald's CMO Larry Light is abandoning the concept of universal messaging via mass media and embarking upon what he called "brand journalism."

"Any single ad, commercial or promotion is not a summary of our strategy. It's not representative of the brand message," he said. "We don't need one big execution of a big idea. We need one big idea that can be used in a multidimensional, multilayered and multifaceted way." Huh? English, please.

Muddying this new marketing direction even further, Light gave "brand journalism" two other definitions - "brand narrative" and "brand chronicle" all as means by which to see "what happens to a brand in the world," then somehow turn all that blather into some form of new and different storytelling type marketing communication.

Light also commented on his "I'm Lovin It" campaign calling it a big shift in direction because they chose to use a hip-hop soundtrack. Whoo!