McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, VW encourage social distancing amid coronavirus in logo redesigns
Multiple corporations are changing their logos to encourage the public to maintain social distancing in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
CNN reported McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Volkswagen and Audi have redesigned their logos to promote social distancing.
Coca-Cola
In Times Square, each letter of Coca-Cola’s logo is spaced out with the slogan “Staying apart is the best way to stay connected,” written underneath.
.@CocaCola i @mccann_mw na Times Square. #advertising #coronavirus #CocaCola pic.twitter.com/7EvIJt2oLV
— Mateusz Bystrzycki (@m_bystrzycki) March 23, 2020
McDonald’s
Perhaps the most controversial redesign came in response to McDonald's Brazil. It created ads with the iconic golden arches separated. Brazilian ad agency DPZ&T helped with the redesign, which included the phrase, "Separated for a moment so that we can always be together," when translated from Portuguese, The New York Post reported.
McDonald's separates its golden arches in an act of coronavirus solidarity https://t.co/oVecZOg2PI pic.twitter.com/6hklHAbT8D
— Ad Age (@adage) March 21, 2020
The response was mostly cynical. CNN reported Sen. Bernie Sanders responded by tweeting the restaurant to “give your workers paid sick leave.”
.@McDonalds give your workers paid sick leave. https://t.co/2YmWpvCLY4
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 25, 2020
It’s a terrible idea to put something out there that causes the whole world to facepalm. We’re really not supposed to touch our faces. 🤦🏼♂️
— Matt “BBDO CT” MacDonald (@mattmacdonald) March 20, 2020
This is absolutely pathetic. Everyone involved should be utterly ashamed of themselves. Nobody, not a single person outside an awards jury will have any clue what this is signaling. If McD's wants to support social distancing then put dots on the floor like retailers in Denmark.
— Paul Worthington (@pworthington) March 21, 2020
"As a brand that operates in nearly 120 countries, we share a collective responsibility to help our communities in times of need," a representative for McDonald's said in a statement to the New York Post. "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."
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Social media posts about the logo redesign have since been removed. AdAge reported McDonald's Brazil instead made a post promoting McDonald's delivery and drive-thru, similar to the restaurant's messaging in the U.S.
Volkswagen and Audi
Audi and Volkswagen opted to redesign their logos on social media. Each brand, which operates under Volkswagen Group, included messages advocating for social distancing.
Car and Driver reported Volkswagen increased the vertical distance between the V and W in its recently redesigned logo.
Audi separated the horizontal distance between its four- rings logo.
Stay at home, keep your distance, stay healthy, support each other – we are in this together. As a global company and a global community, our highest priority is to identify any opportunities to #FlattenTheCurve. Stay safe. pic.twitter.com/uwsW2JbhEu
— Audi (@Audi) March 20, 2020
Nike
Nike advocated for remaining active but doing so safely and inside. Its message, “If you ever dreamed of playing for millions around the world, now is your chance,” advocates for athletes and gymsharks to remain indoors amid the pandemic.
Now more than ever, we are one team. #playinside #playfortheworld pic.twitter.com/LRLhL4FwkG
— Nike (@Nike) March 21, 2020
About the Author
Kelcie Willis is a writer and online content producer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Sociology from the University of Georgia. At the AJC, she covers state, regional and national news with the Content Curation Desk.
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