Here’s How McDonalds Is Helping Address the Migrant Crisis

2 minute read
By Mark Rivett-Carnac

After snubbing an offer from longtime rival Burger King to create a hybrid “peace burger,” McDonald’s has instead announced it is supporting the U.N. World Food Programme’s response to the migrant crisis in Europe and the Middle East — a campaign that incidentally also includes Burger King.

McDonald’s has partnered with DreamWorks Animation, Google, Facebook, Twitter, Cargill, McCain Foods, MasterCard, Burger King and United Airlines to fund an advertising campaign that will generate donations for the WFP, reports USA Today.

“If anyone can help an international effort to help feed refugees and the fight against hunger, it’s us,” McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook said in a statement on Sunday.

The above 30-second advertisement features a voiceover by Liam Neeson and does not mention any of the sponsors’ names. It will broadcast in 38 countries and online on Monday, the official U.N. International Day of Peace, using supporting partners’ social media channels.

McDonald’s had previously turned down Burger King’s invitation to raise money for the non-profit Peace One Day by creating a McWhopper — a combination of a Big Mac and a Whopper.

Burger King teamed up with restaurant chains Denny’s, Wayback Burgers, Krystal and Giraffas to produce a range of fusion burgers instead.

[USA Today]

The 17 Most Influential Burgers of All Time

Courtesy of '21' Club
Courtesy of Keizo Shimamoto
Russia's President Medvedev and U.S. President Obama have burgers for lunch at Ray's Hell Burger restaurant in Arlington
Kevin Lamarque—Reuters
BURGER KING WHOPPER
Burger King Corporation/PRNewsFoto/AP
Heart Attack Grill owner Jon poses with a quadruple bypass cheese burger in Chandler, Arizona
Joshua Lott—Reuters
Developer Of First Cultivated Beef Burger Mark Post
Simon Dawson—Bloomberg/Getty Images
McDonald's
The ordering lingo for this Atlanta staple, which debuted in 1928, is almost as delicious as the burger itself: you get it “all the way” in lieu of “with onions,” and “walk a steak” replaces “to-go.” These branding gimmicks were later replicated by burger chains like In-N-Out, whose secret menu (see: “animal style” and "protein style") has helped lure millions of customers.
Courtesy of Kayla Tausche—AP
Shake Shack Comes to Russia Two Decades After McDonald's Debut
Andrey Rudakov—Bloomberg/Getty Images
Designer Burger Demand in Los Angeles Grabs Hold in New York
Patrick Fallon—Bloomberg/Getty Images
Image converted using ifftoany
Coutesy of Gardenburger
In October, Chicago heavy-metal-themed bar Kuma's Corner launched one of the most outrageous burgers to date: the Ghost Burger—it's named after Swedish metal band Ghost B.C.—was topped with an unconsecrated Communion wafer. The dish sold well, but angered Catholics (and garnered national headlines), prompting the owners to donate $1,500 to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Courtesy of Kuma
Japan - Fast Food - Mos Food Services - Hamburger Chain
Everett Kennedy Brown—EPA/Corbis
In October, Chicago heavy-metal-themed bar Kuma's Corner launched one of the most outrageous burgers to date: the Ghost Burger—it's named after Swedish metal band Ghost B.C.—was topped with an unconsecrated Communion wafer. The dish sold well, but angered Catholics (and garnered national headlines), prompting the owners to donate $1,500 to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Octavian Cantilli—Universal Orlando
Although this twist on the cheeseburger—in which the cheese is melted inside the patty—was reportedly invented in the 1920s, when chefs were still experimenting with the burger, it gained national attention in 2008, thanks to a feud between two Minneapolis bars that both claim to have "invented" it. Since then, there have been numerous imitators, proving that a little innovation and a dash of hype is all it takes to reinvigorate enthusiasm for a classic. Correction: The original version of this story misstated the date of invention of the Jucy Lucy. It was put on the menu at Matt's in 1954.
Bruce Bisping—Minneapolis Star Tribune/ZUMA Press
In-N-Out Burger As The Company Is Valued At Near $2 Billion
Patrick T. Fallon—Bloomberg/Getty Images
White Castle Hamburgers
Najlah Feanny—Corbis

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Write to Mark Rivett-Carnac at mark.rivett-carnac@timeasia.com