The ‘tasteless’ McDonald’s advert that went viral after being placed next to a UK crematorium has now been replaced – but locals say the alternative option is ‘just as bad’.
The original ad was for the McDonald's McCrispy, which featured an image of a chicken breast fillet in a crispy coating wedged into a bun.
The advert itself wasn’t exactly the issue, it was more so advertising something ‘crispy’ so close to a... crematorium.
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Yup, it was met with backlash when it was erected at a bus stop directly opposite Penmount Crematorium in Truro, Cornwall, with locals describing it as ‘tasteless’.
One woman, whose mother-in-law was cremated at the establishment last year, told CornwallLive: "Although I can see the funny side, it is tasteless and I'm sure some grieving family members won't like to see it when visiting Penmount for the funeral and cremation of a loved one."
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McDonald's later said it would remove the sign, saying it is taking the matter seriously.
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A spokesperson said: "We were unaware of the road sign in the vicinity of this bus stop.
“However, in light of the concerns raised by CornwallLive, we have asked for our advertisement to be removed."
True to its word, the company has now removed the offending advert from the bus stop, and another for Tate – an art gallery in St Ives – has been put in its place.
The only thing is, this one’s highlighting a £5 ‘locals’ pass’, which doesn’t seem to have gone down well with residents, either.
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While the poster is advertising a locals’ pass for the Tate, its proximity to a crematorium may leave people wondering if they’ll get a discount for regular cremations.
One amused passer-by told CornwallLive of the replacement: “You couldn’t make this up.”
Another said: "I don't know what's worse, this one or the first one.”
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One person also said that someone ‘clearly has a sense of humour’, while another argued that it’s ‘not much better’ than the McDonald’s artwork.
Someone else, from the Netherlands, also joked that advertisement rates should go up for this particular location because of how viral the bus stop ads are going.
LADbible has reached out to Cornwall Council for comment.
Jess Hardiman