Both the CBS video and the company’s so-called comment on the issue are fake.
McDonald’s has allegedly made a statement that a Ukraine’s Defense Ministry ad featuring cheeseburgers promotes hatred and war. This was claimed by Russian sources citing a CBS news video. They write that the company issued a press release stating that «we have always stood for peace, good, and unity… we strongly oppose all forms of violence, aggression, and the promotion of war. Our brand exists to inspire goodwill, not conflict. Any attempt to use our name, branding, or products to promote war is unacceptable and distorts our values».
However, this video, like the so-called comment by the corporation, is fake. The CBS News network (whose logo is located in the left corner of the screen) did not publish such news, and the company’s statement itself is also fake. The message is missing from the News and Announcements section on the corporation’s official website, and no credible source has written about such a statement.
This is an advertisement in the format of a TikTok video, designed to popularize the «Contract 18-24» program launched by the Defense Ministry. It calculated how many cheeseburgers can be bought for a million hryvnias, which is exactly the amount that young people are promised for a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The video caused a polarizing reaction in society: people criticized both the motivation offered to future military personnel and the very idea of such a program of financial support for young people. In particular, the question arose why those fighters who joined the army under a contract even earlier would not receive such payments. However, some in the military. such as Andriy Kozinchuk, a military psychologist from the engineering support group of the 67th separate mechanized brigade, believe the advertising campaign is justified: «As smart marketers used to say, advertising should not be liked, it should attract attention. And, as you can see, you paid attention to it. That’s it, advertising works, even if it looks corny. If you want a product to become popular, sometimes you need to create an advertising campaign that causes a reaction, even if it seems strange or inappropriate».
We previously refuted reports that the McDonald’s chain returns to Russia.
