McDonald's Uniform Redesign Plans Spark Discussion

It looks like everybody and their cousins/brothers/mothers are discussing McDonald's plans to hiphopify their uniforms based on a piece at AdAge.com that can be viewed via free registration and a piece from the Associated Press.   The big news is that Translation Consulting's Steve Stoute is helping McDonald's connect with and consider such design sources as "Tommy Hilfiger . . . Russell Simmons' Phat Farm label, Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, American Eagle and P. Diddy's Sean John label."

Mary Jo Feldstein focused in on what this could mean for Russell Simmons and Phat Farm owner Kellwood and quoted numerous statements from McDonald's spokesperson Bill Whitman who said that "McDonald's probably would choose more than one designer and then allow franchisees and employees to determine the right look for their locations."

Whitman also made the interesting statement that, "The look that we're trying to capture is not something we think belongs only to one particular designer . . . It's a style that does not yet exist."  However, Stoute said that designers "will be asked to add some modern touches to the McDonald's uniforms of old, from the days of founder Ray Kroc."  All I can visualize at the moment is some kind of old school Star Trek knockoff so I guess they won't be turning to ProHipHop for advice.

Feldstein also talked to "George Pace, managing director of Drive Agency, a marketing and advertising agency in St. Louis" who apparently feels that such a project might "hurt a brand's more upscale image" and that "Phat Farm has made a tremendous brand on edgy, urban design . . . I hope they don't have to make too many compromises."  You know, upscale and edgy have never been terms I've associated with Phat Farm's Classic American Flava, whose lack of flavor would suit McDonald's just fine.

Brad Stephens, an "industry analyst with Morgan Keegan & Co. in Memphis" was also concerned for Kellwood and Phat Farm stating:
"What happens if only Phat Farm does it and everyone else says, 'That's not authentic; that's selling out to the man'? . . . I'd be concerned that dressing McDonald's workers doesn't leave it the credibility it was trying to obtain."

Though I'm really trying to keep my sarcasm in check, I do honestly appreciate the fact that Mary Jo chose the high road and actually interviewed people rather than simply rewriting AdAge's article.

Eric Herman relates that Bill Whitman's wishful thinking includes the notion that, "It would be pretty cool if our employees liked their uniforms so much that they would also want to wear them while they were not working."  Which makes me envison McDonald's managers pressuring workers into showing up and leaving in their uniforms, cynic that I am.

The AdAge.com article quotes Steve Stoute in a similar vein:
“It’s very important to take [uniforms] from what they have to wear to what they want to wear. . . It’s a very important aspect of employee pride. McDonald’s has evolved and become a lifestyle brand ... since it now is relevant to our lifestyle, let’s go one step further and make its employees relevant to our lifestyle as well.”

But Business Week's David Kiley questions the idea that McDonald's is a lifestyle brand, pointing out that lifestyle brands are the "ones people want to wear and be identified with," like RocaWear and Harley Davidson, and he wonders whether or not "people by and large want to be identified with eating fast food day-to-day as a brand badge."

As usual, Kiley makes sense to me, just as he did when he revealed that Russell Simmons wanted to keep Big Mac rap lyric placements secret.  Personally I think it's a great idea for McDonald's to redesign their uniforms using popular designers but a comment from Tracey, one of my readers raises something to consider:
"Will this attract kids of color to work at McDonalds for minimum wage? If so, is that a good thing?"

I don't really know, but I think it's a really interesting point.  What immediately comes to mind is the U.S. military push to get more low-income young people to volunteer.  I wonder if McDonald's is facing problems recruiting young workers.  I also wonder when we'll hear about plans to get hip hop related designers to redesign military uniforms.  Thanks, Tracey, for helping me make that connection.

In related news, it took me a while to figure out that a recent article at Forbes.com wasn't saying that Elvis Presley Enterprises was getting help from hip hop figures to design the clothing.  Actually, they're just using the same web store operator as Applebottoms, JLO and Baby Phat, eFashion Solutions.