The New McDonald's Ad Completely Backfires

If you were one of the millions of people that watched either the Green Bay Packers beat the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL playoffs or the 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards, one ad probably kept you from checking your phone or heading to the bathroom during the commercial break. And that ad came from none other than the fast food mac daddy of them all, McDonald's.

You may even still be thinking about that ad hours later today. So are many others who witnessed its TV debut. However, that's not necessarily a good thing.

McDonald's is causing a bit of a stir on the Interwebs today for its latest commercial featuring snapshots of the signs at local restaurants across the country. Instead of listing menu items or promotions, these signs showcase messages of support for the local community, such as "Thank you veterans," "We believe in you Crystal" and "Boston Strong." The soundtrack to this sentimental visual is equally sentimental with a children's choir singing a cover of Fun.'s "Carry On."

All of the signs are authentic and have been used within the past 20 years, according to McDonald's. The fast-food chain even set up a Tumblr where you can read about the true stories behind the signs. Even though McDonald's intended this commercial to show how it connects with and supports the local community, many found it strange and ill-timed for the fast-food company to espouse its benevolence when its employees very publicly went on strike last year to fight for a living wage.

Others thought McDonald's was exploiting natural disasters and tragic events for its own economic gain.

Some, including me, just found the ad unsettling.

However, the commercial still had its fans.

If you also enjoyed the new McDonald's ad, you'll find loads of more fun on the company's official Tumblr. As for the rest of us, maybe this finally gives us an excuse to switch over to Burger King. They're apparently lowering their prices anyway.