Coca-Cola, Heinz, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Marlboro, McDonald's, Pepsi, Pizza Hut, Procter & Gamble and Xerox are just a few of the companies being targeted. Demonstrators are urging their country's citizens to boycott a large amount of U.S. companies in favor of local products.
Fliers are being circulated in places like Egypt, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria, all calling for a full ban on anything U.S.-related. Protestors in Argentina blocked the entrance to McDonald's, holding signs reading, "Here they sell 'Happy Meals' to finance the war."
In fact, McDonald's has been one of the most affected by the boycott. In Ecuador, a demonstrator burned a Ronald McDonald figurine. In France, windows were shattered at a McDonald's restaurant. In Korea, one demonstrator brandished a gun, climbing the golden arches with a George Bush mask on.
Now advertisers are forming an all-new strategy to counter the backlash. McDonald's has already released an ad in Argentina featuring a picture of a Big Mac with the words "Made in Argentina" in bold. The fast food chain also used the ad to point out that the company is local and home to 10,000 Argentinian employees.
Representatives from Coca-Cola, Heinz, McDonald's, Pepsi, Procter & Gamble and Xerox have created a committee to spin the negative publicity back to their favor. But that's not to say these companies feel their brands are in danger.
McDonald's execs say their 30,000 restaurants have seen minimal action and none at all in a majority of locations. Even still, certain U.S. companies are only seeing riot police on guard frequenting their locations. One day in particular only gauged five people at an Egyptian Pizza Hut and 11 at McDonald's.
And while major companies stand by their claim that they have nothing to worry about, they're still pushing production of their secondary products to the front line. Spending has shifted from the popular products to the brands that don't have an obvious U.S. connection.
