This month McDonald's is giving away toy Hummers 42 million of them, in eight models and colors with every Happy Meal or Mighty Kids Meal. That's right: The fast-food chain that helped make our kids the fattest on Earth is now selling future car buyers on the fun of driving a supersized, smog-spewing, gas-guzzling SUV originally built for the military.
It's not quite there, as a campaign -- the brilliance of culture jamming lies in its transgression, while this just seems transgressive (really, you're being invited to leave snarky messages) -- still, it's nice to see activists being creative.
Perhaps a World Changing tie in: Lipodiesel! The Hummers could be described as having liposuction tubes built right into the passenger seats, sucking fast-food-induced fat to converters in the engine compartment, helping produce a hefty 3 miles per triple bacon cheeseburger! When the fuel gauge is low, or someone is hungry, just pop by another drive-through window for more McGrease.
Posted by: David Foley on August 17, 2006 11:34 AM
Of course, by the time that yer average Happy Meal consumer is old enough to drive a Hummer, they'll be out of production, and the old ones recycled into emergency housing units for greenhouse refugees.
Posted by: Stefan Jones on August 17, 2006 4:06 PM
Could somebody offer a line of hummer toys that disassemble themselves when heated to body temperature? Message on the exposed chassis to read 'Recycle. Reuse. Reduce!'
(To be provided in eight colours that turn bright green just prior to disassembly temperature. I believe shape memory materials can do this.)
Could do the same thing with hamburgers, I suppose.
Posted by: Tony Fisk on August 17, 2006 7:01 PM
What we really need: Hybrids and electrics that look so cool that toys based on them would outsell hummer toys.
The hummer has bulk and menacing boxiness in its favor; they are brontosauri* and triceratopsi.
The design of smaller, more agile cards should evoke wolves and cats and menacing hunting insects. They should have chrome and electroluminescent panels on the hood that make it look like the vehicle has high-tech mandibles.
* Yeah, yeah, apatosauri. Bite me paleontology boy!
Posted by: Stefan Jones on August 17, 2006 7:46 PM
worldchanging was founded on the idea that real solutions already exist for building the future we want. it's just a matter of grabbing hold and getting moving.
