There are no cries of “duck” or “pet” or “cheers, drive” in the big city. Here, the majority of us standoffish lot spend years avoiding the neighbours we only know by face, mouths kept firmly buttoned on public transport as our eyes fix on ceilings and floors rather than on the faces of our fellow travellers.
The latest McDonald’s ad sees two women basically forced to break down these deeply entrenched behaviours: when the office lift they’re in grinds to a halt, the pair bond over their predicament, trying on each other’s clothes, looking at photos and giggling like 12-year-olds.
Of course, in real life they’d most likely be sitting in silence, trying desperately to get some 4G signal, instead of pissing their phone batteries away listening to music. As a kindly fireman dangles a bag of chicken and chips into the lift for them, it seems their friendship will only continue, forged through claustrophobia and cemented with barbecue sauce.
It’s not enough, however: as woman one leans in for a dipper, woman two snaps at her, eyes narrowed. Ultimately, it seems McDonald’s sort of gets it: even a golden, Photoshopped treat can’t beat decades of urban individualism.
