# McDonald’s Canada removes radio ad after offending museums

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2018/01/16/mcdonalds-canada-removes-radio-ad-offending-museums/
- Published: 2018-01-16T09:00:03+00:00
- Author: Melanie May

**McDonald’s Canada found itself in hot water last week after airing a national 
radio ad that seemed to suggest that $5 would be better spent in one of its restaurants
than on a visit to a museum.**

 

The 15-second radio ad suggested that the money would be better spent on a kid’s
meal than on taking a child on a museum tour to look at dinosaurs. News of the ad
prompted a backlash on social media after number of Canadian museums complained 
about it, including Tracy Calogheros, CEO of [The Exploration Place](http://www.theexplorationplace.com/)
in Prince George, British Columbia, after hearing it on a local radio station.

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In an [interview on CBC](http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1134289987686/), Calogheros
said she realised that criticising museums was not the goal of the ad, but that:

 

> “Museums right across the country are generally speaking not for profit and /or
> registered charities so to have an organisation that is a multinational for profit
> company trash us to feed their bottom line really is disgraceful.”

 

The [Canadian Museums Association](http://www.museums.ca/) (CMA) also contacted 
McDonald’s requesting the ad be removed, and that McDonald’s consider beneficial
ways to work with the museum sector. According to CMA, the Senior Vice-President
of Marketing for McDonald’s Canada called CMA’s John McAvity to apologise to Canadian
museums, and to confirm the ad has been cancelled.

 

McDonald’s Canada also made a number of other apologies, including directly to Calogheros,
as well on social media.

 

> We are removing this ad from the airwaves immediately. We appreciate that museums
> are trusted, respected and informative places about Canadian culture and apologize
> for any offense.
> — McDonald's 🇨🇦 (@McDonaldsCanada) [January 11, 2018](https://twitter.com/McDonaldsCanada/status/951569852875100160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

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