Big America

Oh boy. I don't have much good to say about the McDonald's ad campaign currently assaulting the Tokyo subway system. In fact, I feel a little embarrassed by this incongruous pair of posters suspended from the car ceiling. Titled Big America, one page depicts a roadside scene with a pick-up truck and a cheap motel in the background. In the foreground stands a movable McDonald's outlet ready to hit the open road. It probably ought to have a "wide load" banner draped across its rear. The twin poster features the Texas Burger -- an over-sized sandwich topped with bacon, something fried, mysterious sauces and, of course, a hefty hunk of meat. What are these images really saying?

Egg Dog?

Egg Dog? Though I can't put my finger on it, there is something off-putting about this new product. It appears to be egg salad in a bun but I can not say for sure. From a design point of view, the three-sided wrapping could be a tidy solution to the messy problem of filling leakage. Perhaps this shape lends itself more easily to mass-production than the usual sliced bread. Quietly, I will admit the Egg Dog is kind of cute in a quaint, clam roll sort of way.

Yet, conceptually, there is something distasteful about the implicit cross species eating. According to a certain religion, even benign-seeming hybrids like nectarines and plucots are verboten. Not that this sandwich-wannabe would be any more appetizing if dogs laid eggs. It also didn't help that its convenience store display was not refrigerated. Doubt this one will be a big seller.