Good and Bad PR

McBall Gowns?

by Kate Catlin

McDonald’s is currently undergoing a brand overhaul in the United Kingdom and that includes the employee uniforms. Princess Diana’s couturier, otherwise known as Bruce Oldfield, designer of dresses for Hollywood actresses as well as European aristocracy, completed the design of the new uniforms.

With these new outfits, working at Mickey D’s may be glamorous instead of greasy – and all (corny) jokes aside, McDonald’s is trying to prove just that. “We’ve been providing evidence now for two years that McJob is something people can be proud of,” said David Fairhurst, chief people officer for northern Europe at the company. “This is another step in McDonald’s’ makeover in the UK. . . A key component of that is to give employees a designer makeover. . . in a way that perhaps some of the cheapest airlines, for example, have missed.”

McDonald’s spent about £2.5million on the new threads which will feature a combination of mocha, caramel and black, and roll out in the U.K.’s 1,200 stores early this summer. Their overhaul has also included adding healthier options to the menus and sprucing up stores as well as making a concerted effort to change the McDonald’s image as an employer.

Personally, I think it’s a pretty exciting idea and I would definitely don an outfit designed by Princess Diana’s couturier or at least go pick up a Happy Meal so I could see someone else wearing one. It definitely got people talking.

Below is a photo of Oldfield (third from left) with staff members in the new uniforms. The photo on the right is a comparison of the new with the 1980s version. Photos coutesy of The Telegraph.

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