Fast food chain McDonald’s has withdrawn a television advert following criticism from a child bereavement charity.
Grief Encounter said it has received a lot of phone calls about the advert, which shows a young boy who appears disappointed that he does not have much in common with his deceased father until learning that his father also enjoyed McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish.
Shelley Gilbert, founder of Grief Encounter, said McDonald’s has “exploited childhood bereavement” and that the charity "has already received countless phone calls”.
She added that parents had said “their bereaved children have been upset by the advert and alienated by McDonald’s as a brand that wants to emotionally manipulate its customers”.
There was also criticism on social media, and the Advertising Standards Authority is assessing complaints to see if there are grounds for an investigation.
McDonalds has pulled the advert and apologised. A spokeswoman said: “We can confirm today that we have taken the decision to withdraw our ‘Dad’ TV advert. The advert will be removed from all media, including TV and cinema, completely and permanently this week.
“It was never our intention to cause any upset. We are particularly sorry that the advert may have disappointed those people who are most important to us: our customers.”
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