Funny McDonald's flyer from Switzerland

Whoever designed this flyer for a Swiss McDonalds must be a Rolling Stones fan. Link

[#1 posted by Phikus , January 9, 2008 2:45 PM]

...and has no compunctions about blatantly ripping off their logo.

[#2 posted by sonny p fontaine , January 9, 2008 3:25 PM]

They had better be careful. I hear that old smak head is a prick about these matters.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitter_Sweet_Symphony

[#3 posted by noen , January 9, 2008 3:50 PM]

It's just the outline, does Rolling Stone own the outline or the image inside it?

[#4 posted by Wingo , January 9, 2008 4:00 PM]

Wow, they are on a roll. Must be deliberate on the part of the marketing firm. I wonder if they justify it in some fair use sort of way.

Here's some images on a NIN ripoff discovered in a UK Micky D's:

http://i19.tinypic.com/6tzbk38.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v36/Spookymuffin/Misc/wholething.jpg

[#5 posted by Maurik , January 9, 2008 4:57 PM]

OMG!!!! I can't believe this is on here :D

I was going to scan and send it in when I got it in the post a few days ago.

Cool that it's up :D

[#6 posted by Lone , January 9, 2008 5:37 PM]

Pretty sure this could be pursued by the Stones if they so chose to, though being such a localized incident I doubt it. Its likeness is very close to the original, even in its simplified form, and thats all that matters in a long time established brand like the Rolling Stones.

[#7 posted by Anonymous , January 9, 2008 6:26 PM]

Kind of has a Warhol flavor too.

http://www.undergroundartproject.com/blogpics/banana-1967.jpg

[#8 posted by Lauren O , January 9, 2008 6:33 PM]

It's hard to really drum up any sympathy for a Rolling Stones lawsuit; they're not exactly hurting for dough.

But jeez, is that lazy design work! Couldn't they have just tweaked it a little? Ostensibly the reason the logo works for McDonald's is that you eat McDonald's food with your mouth. Was there no possible way to make a marginally original logo involving a mouth?

[#9 posted by Sandbox World , January 9, 2008 6:43 PM]

Have sympathy for the devil, the tongue looks like it's a bit on the sick side. Mick will be seeing red after he sees this. Micky D's better get their ya-ya's out cause Mick is cashing in.

[#10 posted by ill lich , January 9, 2008 7:37 PM]

So. . . do the Stones own the rights to all images of tongues hanging out of big lips?

And considering that it's McDonalds, how do we know that isn't actually a tongue, but a stylized version of vomit?

I passed a McD's on the way to work today and found myself pondering the word "McDonalds"-- an odd name for a burger joint for sure, and I know most of us never even think about it; the word has transcended it's original meaning, and now represents a mental image of greasy food and two yellow arches. I sometimes joke "let's go get some Irish food. . . at MCDONALDS."

[#11 posted by Dave X , January 9, 2008 8:48 PM]

I think it's kinda cool that when you use the coupons, you're ripping the tongue apart. Oddly enough, this is probably the best cut of meat you'd find in a McDonalds patty... YECCH!

[#12 posted by Hermes , January 9, 2008 10:18 PM]

I think you mean "let's go get some Scottish food"...

[#13 posted by maki , January 9, 2008 11:34 PM]

Hi, I'm the one who uploaded the photo. Just a small clarification - the coupon was not issued by a single Swiss McDonald's franchise, but by McDonald's Corporation, and it's good for all McD's in Switzerland and Lichtenstein.

Yesterday I saw some neighborhood kids playing with the flyers, 'tonguing' each other. It was pretty funny. Yeah, should have had my camera on me.

[#14 posted by globule23 , January 10, 2008 12:45 AM]

Andy Warhol laughs maniacally. Or perhaps just stares at you from the BEYOND!!!! (now i laugh maniacally)cackle cackle cackle cough cough bwaa ha ha ha hack hack hee hee haw. I should quit smoking.

[#15 posted by Sandbox World , January 10, 2008 3:44 AM]

Andy should laugh because it was John Pasche an art designer who designed the "Tongue and Lip Design" logo for the Stones. You just gave Andy another 15 minutes of fame. John was an art student at the age of 25 when approached by Mick Jagger and was just paid 50 pounds for his work. Two years later, he was paid another 200 pounds as a recognition from the band to its success. Not bad considering that the Stones make millions off the logo with merchandise.

[#16 posted by Sandbox World , January 10, 2008 3:44 AM]

Andy should laugh because it was John Pasche an art designer who designed the "Tongue and Lip Design" logo for the Stones. You just gave Andy another 15 minutes of fame. John was an art student at the age of 25 when approached by Mick Jagger and was just paid 50 pounds for his work. Two years later, he was paid another 200 pounds as a recognition from the band to its success. Not bad considering that the Stones make millions off the logo with merchandise.

[#17 posted by twofedoras , January 10, 2008 7:10 AM]

without being previously influenced by the stones "tounge" side-by-side, I would say the shape is oddly phallic and therefor giddly funny regardless..

[#18 posted by JFR , January 10, 2008 9:10 AM]

RE::#16 posted by twofedoras

They are not "side by side" those two images are the "front and back" of the flyer!

[#19 posted by Phikus , January 10, 2008 9:30 AM]

@Ill LICH: The similarity goes far beyond "a tongue hanging out of big lips" considering the angle. This cannot be considered "fair use" either because it is a registered trademark of the Stones'. Since I'm sure McD's slapped their own copyright on it, I have no sympathy for those devils. Mick & Co. should sue the fries off of them, as I hope Trent Reznor does as well (thanks WINGO!) It's apparently not enough that they get endorsements to link themselves with elements of pop culture, they're going right for the jugular by stealing images produced by bands outright. If the bands don’t take action, I’m sure Mc D’s will get even more brazen… Soon their jingle will be “Jumping Jack in the Box gives you gas gas gas…”

[#20 posted by globule23 , January 10, 2008 10:05 AM]

My mistake, I was misinformed, thanks.

[#21 posted by ill lich , January 10, 2008 11:08 AM]

I think you mean "let's go get some Scottish food"...

Well, I would've said that if it was "MacDonalds", but it's "McDonalds", so I stand by my joke.

And yeah-- what do I really care if one huge corporation (McD's) is ripping off another (The Stones)? The Stones haven't made a good record in 20 years, and McD's hasn't made a good burger in at least 40 years.

[#22 posted by Teresa Nielsen Hayden / Moderator , January 10, 2008 1:25 PM]

I'm seconding Ill Lich (9), because I couldn't mistake that McDonald's flyer for the real Rolling Stones Logo from a hundred yards away -- it's the wrong color, and it has completely different proportions.

If you were the Stones, and someone proposed to put that big yellow McDonald's tongue onto Rolling Stones licensed merchandise, what would you say?

[#23 posted by Phikus , January 11, 2008 12:21 PM]

Hate to piss in your McNuggets, but it doesn’t seem to me that Mick and Keith are intentionally dancing with Mickey Ds here. I am not a huge Stone’s fan, but even I am aware that they have done a lot of different variations of their logo involving varying colors and lengths and shapes of tongue over the years. A cursory Google image search on Rolling Stones will confirm this. I would definitely pick out that image as a variation of their logo with Far Away Eyes. At any rate, it is too close for me to believe McD’s didn’t intentionally infringe on their logo or that they accidentally selected that image. To me it seems like they’re Playin’ With Fire.

As far as both being corporations, you are incorrect. Can I invest in the Stones on the NY Stock Exchange? No. They are privately owned. It doesn’t matter that they’ve been around as long as your parents of grandparants. (Are you saying Time is no longer On Their Side?) Whether you like their music in the last 20 years or not is beside the point. They are musicians with a right to make a living from their art. Their intellectual property does not deserve to be infringed any more than your favorite no-name indie band does (who would probably jump like Jack Flash to get endorsement cash from McD’s.)

Even if they were a corporation, this would not necessarily mean they are bowing to their Satanic Majesty’s Request. There are good corporations (admittedly in the minority) and there are huge bloated food-poisoning-factory-farming-rainforest-destroying behemoths like McD’s whom I cannot believe you would defend or compare next a group that is universally recognized as one of the greatest Rock and Roll bands ever (even if you only consider their works from 20 years ago and before.) Just because they are from another time doesn’t mean It’s All Over Now. I know It’s Only Rock & Roll, But I Like It…

The shots of the Nine Inch Nails artwork shamelessly stolen (provided here by WINGO) prove irrefutably that McD’s has Sticky Fingers in regards to using this kind of intellectual property for their own gain. Are you similarly trashing Trent Reznor as a corporate whore and endorsing theft of his images just because he’s famous? Why should McD’s always get what they want?

The band The Residents had less than 30 seconds of their music used by a Swiss watch-making company for a TV ad without their permission and they were able to successfully sue for a six digit settlement, which they then poured into all kinds of projects they had never had the money for before. -All because of diligent fans reporting the abuse via the internet within 24hours of the ad running. All of the faceless entities that would rip off individual artists instead of generating something new with their billion dollar ad budgets deserve to be Shattered in the same vein. (It would give me Satisfaction.)