McDonald’s Appeals to the Shawshank Redemptionist in You

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The holidays — shopping, senile relatives, stuffing with raisins and endless variations on the nativity — aren’t for everyone. This Leo Burnett ad for McDonald’s depicts just such a guy.

The scene: charades by the Christmas tree with extended family. After an over-obvious movie mime (chest-pounding, monkey noises) that wins him “Brokeback Mountain…?”, he acts out the first two words of The Great Escape, then leaps into a secret tunnel that looks like it’s been dug with gravy spoons. Off to McD’s he goes.

The UK-based ad promotes McDonald’s “festive menu,” which launches Wednesday. A spokesperson told the Guardian it’s “strictly a turkey-free zone” to give customers “a haven to escape from some of the stressful Christmas activities, like shopping.”

Guess that makes sense. Nothing soothes the consumption-distressed soul like chicken … McNuggets.

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Steve Hall

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