Search icon

Food

12th Dec 2016

McDonald’s may want to redesign their accidentally obscene Christmas cups

Is this bad design, or just dirty minds reading too much into it?

Nooruddean Choudry

This is spreading all over the place.

McDonald’s have been in the process of a gradual but sustained rebranding over the last few years. Partly due to changing perceptions towards fast food and obesity, and almost definitely influenced by the success of Morgan Spurlock’s ‘Super Size Me’, the restaurant chain has worked hard to portray a more healthy and sophisticated image.

In fairness to them, it has been largely successful. MaccyD’s will always be MaccyD’s, but the interiors of their international eateries are generally far more refined and the food on offer is now more varied and health-conscious. That said, their attempts to out-Starbucks Starbucks with their McCafe cup designs may need a rethink.

This is the very festive artwork for their hot beverages this Noël…

Very Christmassy we’re sure you’ll agree. And in case you were wondering what the blobby white shape in the middle is supposed to be, why it’s a pair of winter mittens of course! How adorable and in keeping with the snowy feel of the overall look.

Except some eagle-eyed/dirty-minded patrons of the fast food chain aren’t seeing cutesy mittens at all. Rather they’re finding something rather more unsavoury in the design. The term ‘goatse’ is probably apt. If that doesn’t mean anything to you, lucky you.

A few additional pen marks make the suggestion even more apparent. Do you see it yet?

That’s right – it looks worryingly like a brazen individual spreading their buttocks with their hands to show all and sundry the contents of their buns. We’ll admit we didn’t see it at first, but now we can’t think of anything else. And oh how we wish we could.

McDonald’s may want to instigate an urgent recall, because this isn’t going to go away. Merry Christmas…