Mc Donald’s launches candles with the smell of French fries (which we didn’t need)

It may be okay to give off the scent of apple pie, but if you have to intentionally spread the smell of French fries (even cooked in the worst possible oil) in the house, no. Yet McDonald’s in Austria has thought of this pure marketing genius: to brighten up our winter evenings with three candles that bring the unmistakable aromas of your menu into our apartment. Brilliant or disturbing?

For now it only happens in Austria and for now only for members of the MyMcDonald’s loyalty program, who can redeem the “Iconic Candle Collection”, that’s what they’re called, using points or coupons, while stocks last.

The “Iconic Candle Collection” convinces with the apple fragrance, which smells of a delicate hint of apple and cinnamon, or with the McFlurry fragranceoffering the ultimate “Mäcci” experience with a touch of vanilla. The candle collection is completed by the scent of french frieswhich promises a unique mix of golden potato aroma, accompanied by a subtle and tasty note, they write on the site.

The nice thing is certainly the three accompanying podcasts. The limited edition is in fact accompanied by three radio plays by Austrian authors – to be listened to via the McDonald’s app and Spotify -: stories of crimes intertwined with the various perfumes.

In the meantime, one thing is clear to us: those who do marketing for McDonald’s are masters at telling stories that leverage emotions. From commercials with smiling families to nostalgic cartoons with Ronald McDonald, through insistent campaigns like “I’m lovin’ it” or initiatives like “Happy Meal Readers” to promote reading, this multinational also knows how to keep the public glued and hide the dust under the carpet.

In fact, it will always remain McDonald’s and anyone with a grain of salt knows perfectly well that behind those neat sandwiches and pints there is a long list of problems: farms intensive, deforestation to produce feed, consumption water disproportionate and the enormous amount of waste generated (and often not recycled).

It remains, therefore, no matter how you see it, unsustainable:

So, apple pie candles or not, perhaps it is better to extinguish the flame of enthusiasm and reflect on more conscious choices for our Planet. That said, who wouldn’t want their house to smell like cooking oil and industrial sugar? Let’s just say, the next time we smell chips, we won’t know if it’s dinner time or just someone lit a candle.