McDonald’s in Brazil Hit With Backlash for Its Socially Distanced Golden Arches Redesign

Ad Age reports that in an act of solidarity with the measures taken to slow down the spread of COVID-19, McDonald’s Brazil worked with the ad agency DPZ&T to repurpose its iconic golden arches to reflect the demand for social distancing.

The new logo showed some space between the arches, and included the statement, “Separated for a moment so that we can always be together” in Portuguese.  

McDonald’s was criticized for publicly showing support for a cause like social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic, yet failing to rise to the occasion on some equally important internal matters involving their own employees.   

McDonald’s Brazil was using the modified logo on its social media, but backtracked amid backlash. A statement apologized for any misunderstanding behind the intent, but McDonald’s maintained its stance on social-distancing. 

“As a brand that operates in nearly 120 countries, we share a collective responsibility to help our communities in times of need,” a rep said. “Throughout the world, we are modifying operations to adhere to social-distancing guidelines and increasing our already-strong hygiene standards to protect restaurant crew and the public. We apologize for any misunderstanding of the intent to remind our customers and communities on the importance of social distancing during these uncertain times.”