McDonald’s ‘badtag’ hashtag campaign brings the hate

Twitter campaigns walk a tightrope between being incredibly successful or horribly, irrevocably flawed. The new hashtag campaign from fast food giant McDonald’s, called “#McDStories” falls into the latter category.

McDonald’s began its slide into social media oblivion with an initial hashtag called “#MeetTheFarmers” aimed at promoting the “fresh food supply chain at McDonald’s”. The tweet-apocalypse though, roared into full gear with this innocent tweet from McDonald’s.

At this point, the gloves came off. Twitter users worldwide vented their horror stories regarding the fast food chain, care of #McDStories.

Eating a Quarter Pounder value meal makes me feel exactly the same as an hour of violent weeping. #McDStories

— Emmy (@mmemordant) January 24, 2012

One time I walked into McDonalds and I could smell Type 2 diabetes floating in the air and I threw up.#McDStories

— Skip Sullivan (@SkipSullivan) January 18, 2012

One time, I had really awful diarrhea after I ate a Quarter Pounder with Cheese. #McDStories #NeverForget @MorganSpurlock

— Tara Dublin (@taradublinrocks) January 18, 2012

I once ordered an egg mcmuffin only cheese and they gave me the muffin and cheese only #pissed #McDStories

— Danny Rams (@DannyRams35) January 18, 2012

“@McDonalds “When u make something w/pride, people can taste it,” – McD potato supplier #McDStories” Pride must mean over-processed food.

— Anthony DeVito (@VeniVidiVito) January 18, 2012

@jfsmith23 wrote: ‘Watching a classmate projectile vomit his food all over the restaurant during a 6th grade trip. #McDStories

— Miroslav Marjanovic (@mikiiiki) January 25, 2012

Took me 3 years for my therapist to help me get past the mind rape that was Ronald MacDonald. #McDStories

— Ben Hupe (@BenHupe) January 25, 2012

At least the fast food chain was humble enough to admit it failed. Rick Wion, McDonald’s Social media director, laments on the botched hashtag campaign. “Within an hour, we saw that it wasn’t going as planned. It was negative enough that we set about a change of course.” The initial tweet was quickly removed and the #McDStories hashtag is no longer endorsed by McDonalds. #LittleThings replaces the now toxic hashtag campaign.