At first glance, it might seem like a McDonald’s in Lynwood, California has been the victim of a prank. As Business Insider reports, the restaurant’s trademark golden arches have been entirely flipped upside down.
But franchisee Patricia Williams says that’s not the case. Rather, it’s in celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8th. McDonald’s spokesperson Lauren Altmin tells CNBC Make It that the golden “M” will be flipped into a golden “W” in “celebration of women everywhere.”
“We have a long history of supporting women in the workplace, giving them the opportunity to grow and succeed,” says Altmin. “In the U.S. we take pride in our diversity and we are proud to share that today, six out of 10 restaurant managers are women.”
The logo will be changed on all of the company’s social media channels and 100 restaurants will have special “packaging, crew shirts and hats and bag stuffers.”
“For the first time in our brand history, we flipped our iconic arches for International Women’s Day in honor of the extraordinary accomplishments of women everywhere and especially in our restaurants,” said Wendy Lewis, McDonald’s Chief Diversity Officer, in a statement. “From restaurant crew and management to our C-suite of senior leadership, women play invaluable roles at all levels and together with our independent franchise owners we’re committed to their success.”
McDonald’s is not the first company to alter their logo as a part of a women-centric marketing effort in the month of March.
As in recent years, Brawny paper towels will once again replace its flannel-wearing hunk with a strong female as part of its #StrengthHasNoGender campaign.
Whisky brand Johnnie Walker released a product with a limited edition “Jane Walker” label for the month of March. For every Jane Walker bottle sold, Johnnie Walker will donate $1 to organizations that support women’s causes, up to $250,000.
“Important conversations about gender continue to be at the forefront of culture, and we strongly believe there is no better time than now to introduce our Jane Walker icon and contribute to pioneering organizations that share our mission,” said Stephanie Jacoby, vice president of Johnnie Walker. “We are proud to toast the many achievements of women and everyone on the journey towards progress in gender equality.”
According to the official International Women’s Day website, March 8th “is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.”
