McDonald’s chief says gay ad won’t air in the US

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McDonald’s won’t show an ad featuring a gay teenager in the US, the brand’s chief of operations says.

Don Thompson, the fast food giant’s second-in-command, said the ad was not right for the country because of different “cultural norms”.

The clip, recently broadcast in France, shows a teenager on the phone to his boyfriend while his father orders food.

Speaking to the Chicago Tribune, Mr Thompson said he was a Christian with his own “personal beliefs”.

He said: “… at McDonald’s, there are core values we stand for and the world is getting much closer. So we have a lot of conversations. We’re going to make some mistakes at times.

“(We talk) about things that may have an implication in one part of the world and may be the cultural norm in another part of the world. And those are things that, yes, we’re going to learn from.

“But, you’re right, that commercial won’t show in the United States.”

He said that although the ad had received negative attention in America, it had been accepted in France.

He continued: “The brand is a local brand and different things will occur in different parts of the world. We just have to make sure that we understand the impact one action may make on another part of the world.”

The ad, which has the strapline ‘Come as you are’, has only been broadcast in France but has become a viral sensation on the internet.

It was mocked by Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, who angered gay campaigners by asking whether McDonald’s would make a similar ads for terrorists.

To see the ad, scroll down.


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