マクドナルド | 家族といっしょに。「僕がここにいる理由」 | 2021
Nothing beats a memory / McDonald's "The Reason I'm Here"
7/20/1971. The day Japan's first McDonald's opened in Ginza. In 2021, it turned 50. This commercial wraps up those 50 years into a single story. Miyako Miyazaki plays two roles: "a junior high school girl on a date at McDonald's 50 years ago" and "the same woman today, eating a Big Mac with her grandchild." A 62-year-old playing a junior high schooler. Just that alone is enough to make you tear up.
The problem
McDonald's has been a beloved brand in Japan for half a century, and everyone, from kids to the elderly, has their own McDonald's memories. The question was how to express this 50-year milestone. The answer was to portray "memory" itself.
The insight
No matter how many times people say things like "it's bad for you!", once something has become a memory, there's almost no undoing that. In other words, people end up eating it anyway, and they always have. For 50 years, McDonald's has been there for people on "that day" in their lives. That alone is an irreplaceable kind of strength.
The idea
They spent two weeks faithfully recreating the first Ginza store down to the smallest detail. The ad contrasts two moments: the girl 50 years ago, too embarrassed to eat a Big Mac in front of the boy she liked because it seemed too big, and the same woman today, laughing as she happily chomps into a Big Mac in front of her grandchild, saying she's "totally fine with it now!" The commercial's song is a cover of Akiko Kosaka's "Anata" (1973), sung by Aoi Teshima. Shoji Murakami appears as the husband, giving the ending a warm, gentle laugh.
Afterthought
All you can really say is "this is the best." The flawless craft, the song choice, the casting, the grandchild's acting, the natural performances from Miyako Miyazaki and Shoji Murakami, every single part of it is top-notch. The moment Shoji Murakami appeared, I found myself crying and couldn't stop, for no clear reason. Memories always go beyond logic. And a brand that cherishes memories is a strong one.
