How the "cocaine spoon" was a blow to the reputation of McDonald's
McDonald's is known to all as a family brand and its restaurants are associated, primarily, with the happy faces of children. But there have been in the company's history and not too pleasant moments when the trade mark suffered serious loss of reputation, and even appeared at the center of scandals. The story of "cocaine spoon" — this is the case that the management of the network does not want to remember.
Doors of restaurants "McDonald's" open to all. Therefore, the tables institutions are not the only family with children, but also people from many different walks of life. In the 1970‑ies someone of visitors have noticed that branded spoon for coffee, plastic, bearing in people, the name "Maksun" (eng. McSpoon) — ideal for measuring the dose of cocaine.
Of course, this unconventional use of spoons not advertise, like rolled in a tube banknotes, but once all the secret becomes clear, and intervened in the case and journalists. In 1979, journalist Marcia Kramer has published in a major newspaper article about the illegal party in a new York loft. Casually mentioned that guests actively used the spoon from McDonald's to measure the right amount of cocaine.
The publication caused a public resonance and along with other alarming facts of this plan caused a response from the US government. In Congress soon, a hearing was held, one of the key issues on the agenda which was the tightening of control over the circulation of narcotic substances.
The Congress dealt with some controversial issues, such as whether to ban selling in the US, bongs and other accessories for the consumption of marijuana. In fact, this product is a drug, but is used for their use and steadfastly with them have all been associated. I remembered about "maksun", which in the minds of millions of Americans has become inseparable from a cocaine high.
The initiators of the debate around the spoon from McDonald's became the current President of the United States Joe Biden, then a Congressman and representative Trade associations paraphernalia (TAP). The audience was presented a plastic spoon and asked — what do they associate with it and not to recognize whether it is in the same fixture for the use of drugs like bongs and a special tube.
Joyce Nalepka, who was then President of the National Federation of parents agreed with the arguments, and soon caught up and other advocates of morality and law. Thus, "maksun" for one day from an ordinary disposable Cutlery fell into the category of questionable fixtures for fans of banned substances.
The national Federation of parents took the situation with a spoon control and the President met with the head of the network "McDonald's" Edward Schmidt. The woman asked a top Manager, what can he do to solve this problem on their part. Schmidt was not pleased with this visit — he said that the company owns 4 500 restaurants around the world and each of them used a plastic spoon. But Joyce Nalepka did not give up and just said to the Manager:
Schmidt promised to think over this question and soon Nalepka received a letter in which he promised in the near future to change the design of the spoons or replace them with something else. His promise to the President of the company has complied and soon the restaurant chain located in the United States, instead of the plastic spoons appeared familiar to all flat sticks for stirring drinks.
But the warehouses of the company "maxpyne" were tons of them and needed somewhere to put it. They were sent to other countries where cocaine was not so popular. Unfortunately, this solution also failed, as it soon became clear that there spoons measure heroin. It lasted until until the reserves are disposable devices have not been exhausted and sticks not replaced the spoon around the world.
As we can see, a perfectly ordinary thing can become forbidden if used for the nefarious purposes. And yet, unsuccessful rebranding can ruin a tradition with a long history. You know where the missing mascot of the McDonald's clown Ronald McDonald?
Keywords: Conflict | History | Restaurant | McDonald's | Congress | Heroin | Spoon | Cocaine | Children