Dive Brief:

• During the Golden Globes early this month, McDonald's debuted its "Signs" commercial that showed various social commentary on the golden arches, from birthday wishes to 9/11 tributes . 
• The spot was meant inspire and remind Americans how McDonald's can contribute to a community, but it wasn't necessarily received that way by all audiences. 
• YouTube user Signlover15 posted a parody of the spot that may more accurately portray some American's views of McDonald's restaurants—"Signs (fo real)" shows signs that have either been vandalized or misspelled to show less than flattering messages. 

Dive Insight: 

Parodies often point out the truth, or at least the ugly side of the truth, in advertising. Being a giant fast food brand, McDonald's is constantly fighting an uphill image battle because of the controversy surrounding its product. "Signs (fo real)" isn't one YouTube user's isolated opinion either, as the spot has been critically panned throughout the Internet—meaning McDonalds marketing woes are far from over.