Get ready for the return of the proverbed naked girl in the ice cubes of liquor drink ads. Or at least single frame brand blips on television shows such as the Food Network’s Iron Chef America. YouTube user H20ay32 posted this video capture of a recent broadcast during which a single frame of the broadcast consisted of the Golden Arches and McDonald’s tagline, “I’m Lovin’ It.” While McDonald’s did obviously sponsor the show with on screen billboards, this subliminal placement by a major brand is sure to create debate.
While this form of advertising has been around in one form or another since the girl in the ice cube debate decades ago, we’re not sure we’ve seen a blatant effort such as this by a major brand before. Is this a trend in the making or a tactic that will forever tarnish (as if that hasn’t happened already) the reputation of marketers in the eyes of consumers?
