Expert: Peter Gabany - 5/11/2009

Question
I always wondered something, when I see a picture of food in a TV ad or elsewhere, it never looks like the real thing. For example, McDonald's Big Mac looks a lot bigger (taller)than it is when you buy it. Same things for so many other restaurant food ads--the food or product shown in the ad doesn't look anything like what they actually sell. I realize they want to make it look as appealing as they can, but when it isn't like the actual product sold, isn't this considered "deceptive advertising" and how do they get away with it? Thanks

Answer
You make the assumption that they DO get away with it. They do not. Campbell's soup for example used to put marbles in the bottom of their vegetable soup so that they vegetable would stick out of the soup. This was caught and Campbells charged for deception. In the case of McDonald's I assure you that they are heavily scrutinized. Do they every cross the line. All advertisers do at some time or other if they do not pay attention to the guidelines.

McDonald's for example can make any Big Mac they make look large and puffier than the one that we get in the store - they simply don't wrap it up in paper. As soon as they wrap the burger the heat and moisture plays havoc with the bun - it is compressed and it won't look nearly the same as one freshly made on the counter.

I do know this, no matter what Tommy Bahama shirt I wear, I don't look like George Clooney - it's marketing.

Cheers,

Pete