bad ideas

McDonald’s Held an Online Create-a-Burger Contest, and It Went Just As Badly As You’d Expect

One of the many winners. Photo: deer_ful/Twitter

Every time some corporate entity holds an online contest that gives people any hint of creative power, the world always ends up with a Mountain Dew flavor called “Hitler did nothing wrong,” a Pitbull concert at America’s most remote Walmart, or — most famously — Boaty McBoatface.

So you’d think McDonald’s New Zealand wing would have understood the likely repercussions of launching a “Create Your Taste” competition this week that awarded free fries for the most ingenious DIY burgers. But you’d be wrong.

Very wrong:

Sex, politics, abject racism, jabs at religion, fat jokes, entries called “Toddler Bodybag” and “Rektal Prolapse” — the submissions’ ability to offend was limited only by their creators’ imaginations. The company seems to agree things got a little out of hand, because the site, aptly given the URL of makeburgerhistory.co.nz, now simply redirects to the McDonald’s New Zealand homepage.

McDonald’s Cancels Create-a-Burger Contest