McDonalds, Stauffacher, Zürich

Mc Donald’s is positioning itself in the upper class burger trend. Rene Schudel has created the Prime Signature Line in the hope of raising the fast food place’s profile.

The presentation is gimmicky, with a paper plate and a special napkin it feels like being served in a 1950ies diner. A prominent design historian has confirmed that the visual design copies the informal flow and stylistic rigor of that area. The potato side dish is a french fry & potato chip cross over, but actually pretty decent.

The burger is interesting to say the least. Bread could be toasted more and the meat is plain old Mc Donalds fare, nothing to get excited about. Interesting is the abundance of stuff piled on the meat – cheese, bacon, arugula, tomatoes and even cole slaw are added on to the burger. From a taste perspective this is a great idea by the designer to draw the attention away from the bland McDonalds patty and hide it under a pile of condiments. Overall Schudel deserves kudos for creating something decent within the confined parameters he had to work in, but the meat should be the star and with a dry pattie you just can’t win.