Melanie Gonzalez – Mcdonalds Ad

https://www.netflix.com/search?q=zumbo&jbv=80204927

For my final food review, I will be reviewing the show Zumbo’s Just Desserts, on Netflix. The show takes place in Australia, where pastry chefs are chosen to compete on the show. In the show, there would be two types of challenges. The first type of challenge was called Sweet Sensation, in which the contestants were given a task in which they had the freedom to make their own dessert based on the theme of the task. They would be given 3 hours to complete this challenge. An example of one of the tasks was that the contestants had to create a unique children’s birthday cake.

The show is hosted by Pastry Chef Adriano Zumbo, his co-host Rachel Khoo, and Gigi Falanga as an assistant. After each round, the competitors brought their desserts to the judging table and they were judged by their dessert’s presentation and taste. The season has 10 episodes and each episode had a different task to complete and different judges to judge. Each judge would have scored the contestants’ desserts out of ten. Going back to the children’s cake task for that specific episode, the judges were kids. Each kid tried a slice of the contestant’s cake and they gave them a rating.

After the points are tallied up, the two contestants with the lowest rating score would face off in the Zumbo Test. This was the second challenge of the show and for this challenge they would have to replicate Pastry Chef’s Zumbo’s complicated pastry. The contestant only had the looks of the pastry and its description to determine the steps they would take to make it. The person who would rate low in this challenge would lose this test. This would result in the low rated contestant leaving the contest. In the last episode, there were 2 contestants left and both had to go through the Sweet sensation round and the Zumbo test to be the winner. The winner of the show got $10,000.

I binge-watched the show in one day and by the end of the season, I was craving sweets. Each episode was 45 minutes long and jam-packed with intensity and color. Whenever the contestants desert would have a mishap, I would start to fidget around. I was feeling their stress through my TV. Whenever they would show their desserts to the judges, I would judge them, too and at times I would guess who I thought would be eliminated by the end of the episode. Sometimes I was right. Personally, I would not do a baking competition because seeing the contestant’s stress made me stress more. However, I will continue watching baking competition shows and also I recommend you watch this show.

https://www.eater.com/22215718/how-birria-tacos-conquered-america

I was scrolling through TikTok when I landed on a video about Birra tacos. The oozing cheese from the tacos made me crave them. So I began searching for recipes and I came across this article. The article is called “The Great Birria Boom” and it is written by Bill Esparza in which he talks about the history behind the famous birria craze. 

He begins by describing the history of how birria tacos became a “thing”. Birria was created in Tijuana, Mexico. In the 1950s, Don Guadalupe Zárate, a taquero, a person who sells tacos, opened a street stand. He had recently moved to Tijuana from Coatzingo and started to sell birria de chivo tacos, which is goat meat in adobo. He realized that the goat meat was very lean and switched to beef. The meat was dry and would stick to the pot. So many suggested he add water and it became a spicy beef stew, better known as consomme. 

Esparza continues his article by discussing the journey of two Mexican-American men, Teddy Vasquez, and Omar Gonzalez. They met at a fair in Coatzingo, Puebla, and were introduced to the birria tacos. Years after they moved to Los Angeles. Omar’s cousin had recently opened a birria truck in L.A. and invited him to work along with him. In 2015 the Birrieria Gonzalez truck opened with a goal in mind, to bring a part of Mexico to their Raza. They began promoting the truck on social media, causing them to attract attention.  

Teddy became distant and personal problems caused him to fall. He moved back to Tijuana. Once he was back up on his feet he started working in a taco stand called Birrieria El Paisa. As he fell in love with the Tijuana-style birria tacos, he decided to move back to Los Angeles and start a truck of his own. With the help of his social media promotion, his truck, Teddy’s Red Tacos, became well known. José Moreno was a cook near these taco trucks and also fell in love with this dish. So much that when he moved to New York City, he opened a truck of his own, and with social media promotion it also blew up.

I find it so fascinating how social media had such a positive effect on the dish. It made the dish popular and made people from different cultures try it. In some eyes, the exposure of birria tacos gave the dish a negative impact. Those living in Tijuana would call Teddy and question him for the birria alterations because its traditional look and taste were slowly drifting away. Birria tacos have turned into food fusion dishes as cooks began to make birria pizza, birriamen, birria egg rolls, and even birria pho. Mixing different cultural foods with the infamous birria tacos. Personally, I believe this had a positive impact on Birria because people decided to try a food they might have not normally tried. It also allowed small businesses to bloom and become well known.

What I am planning for my Creative Re-Mix is to make a commercial video or an advertising flyer. This connects to my research question because my question is about McDonald’s marketing so I plan to use advertising techniques to display my research. My steps to execute this decided which advertising method I would like to use, plan out how to create, and lastly put it all together. I am concerned that I have is being able to incorporate all my ideas into my creative remix. Some advice that would help is knowing what part of advertising attracts you the most?

Your mom is driving back home when you spot a Wendy’s on a red light. You tell your mom you’re hungry and want to eat Wendy’s. She responds with “we have food at home”. At the time, you probably threw a fuss, but as we get older, we understand how much money is spent on fast food. Fast food is marketed as fast and cheap. But is it really? According to the Business Insider’s YouTube video, “Sneaky Ways Fast Food Restaurants Get You To Spend Money”, Americans spend around $1,200 on fast food every year. A big mac meal in New York City costs approximately $11, if you were to feed a family of 5, the total would be $55.

I was interested in Business Insider’s video because I am currently researching fast foods marketing and their thumbnail made me want to click it. Just like how their thumbnails drew me to watch their video, fast food restaurants use various attraction methods to make consumers buy more. In their video. They describe how fast food restaurants make pictures of their food big and the pricing or description small. The main focus is the juicy burger in front of you. This makes the consumer come closer to the menu and check what they want to order. Some usually are on the line while doing this and once they get to the cashier, they quickly pick a number on the menu and order it. Those numbers are usually combo meals. Most combo meals include a beverage and some food items. This attracts customers into buying these combos because they get a lot of food for a low pierce like $9.98. You might question why fast food restaurants rarely round their item to the nearest dollar? This is because the customer mentally feels like they are buying their meals for a cheaper price. If you were to add the items within the combo, the overall price would be less (Business Insider). However, consumers are hungry and don’t got the time to do that.

One major marketing tool many fast food restaurants use is coupons. I will admit that I have fallen for these. For example, I love coffee! Especially when I did not get enough sleep or I have a lot on my to-do list. Dunkin is currently selling 2 medium coffees for $5, and since my sister likes coffee, I get this deal. Since this deal has been out, I have been buying more coffee. This is what fast food restaurants to want, to make more money. Make customers come back and become addicted to their items. Yesterday, I went to Target and a 4-serving cold brew was $5, which is $1.25 per serving. I added French Vanilla creamer, which costs $3.59. Since I put a dash of cream on, it usually lasts for a long time. My coffee at home would be around $1.50, compared to the $2.50 I would spend at Dunkin. Now, I understand why my mom always said there was food at home.

1. Food deserts
2. Online food ordering
3. Fast Food

I recommend eating a slice of chocolate cake. Feeling down like a plant without water or feeling happy with a grin from ear to ear, a slice of cake awaits you. It turns a frown into a smile or adds more to to my happiness. With each bite, the flavor melts in to my mouth. As it hypnotizes me to the memories that surround it.

An echoing of Happy Birthdays surrounds you. A bright light sparkles on top of you ready to be blown out. Once it is blown out, it is time to eat. I grab the knife and with a seesaw motion, I slice through the layers of chocolate. The fudge slowly falls like lava coming out of a volcano. I take a bite. Mesmerized by the flavors that are combing. My tense shoulders drop down as I let the flavor invade me. Remembering how each birthday, a chocolate cake is at the table decorated with balloons, confetti splattered on the table cloth, and different colored bags next to it. Counting down the days, crossing them out one by one. As my birthday would soon come. The candle numbers change as each year goes by. As I get older, I understand more of what the world has to offer. Learning through different experiences and getting stronger as I go. Discovering my passions and my dislikes. But one thing stays the same, it is you. I take another bite

O Chocolate cake, O Chocolate cake, how much I adore you! Especially when I am feeling sad. While I focus on the dark clouds rather than the rainbow that comes after the storm. Arriving when I need you the most. When it is that time of the month. Where it seems that everyone is trying to get me mad or annoyed. When I open the fridge, I see you, through your clear cover on that white pearly cake stand. I take you out and I take off the cover, and the sweet chocolatey smell immediately impacts my face. I smile, knowing that soon I would be able to enjoy you. The craving for chocolate cake slowly diminishes and the monster within me starts to creep away. Chocolate cake makes everything so much better.

I remember when I tried to recreate a recipe that one time. It was awful. However, now I feel like I got the hang of it. Trying to make a delicious chocolate cake is hard, but the challenge is always fun. I take out a bowl and whisk all the ingredients together. The last step is the cacao powder. Adding too little would give it a light taste, adding too much would make the taste dense. Three-fourths of a cup seems to be right. Then a dash of salt to balance out the sweetness. I put it in the oven and I let it rise. Thirty-five minutes later, I take you out. Once it is cooled, I begin frost and decorate it. I pipe little swirls on the top and then sprinkle colorful sprinkles over it. Finished. All ready to eat!

–One word I had to look up from Anderson’s essay was prosaic. Prosaic is defined as dull and unimaginative.
–A line that made me LOL was “It appears that I have eaten one half of an entire bag of chips.” This line made me laugh because this has happened to me before and I would have a similar thought. Once you start eating it is hard to stop.
–I would write a love letter to chocolate cake. I would begin with “ O Chocolate cake, O Chocolate cake, how much I adore you!” Chocolate cake always makes my mood go up. It is always a part of celebratory moments so it has positive memories attached to it.

• One word from Hamilton’s essay that I had to look up was pachysandra. A pachysandra is a type of subshrubs evergreen that belongs to the boxwood family Buxaceae. It is native to eastern Asia and southeast North America.
• One passage from the essay that struck you as important or interesting was “my dad was animated with disgust at his dropout daughter- so morose and unfeminine, with the tips of her braids dyed aquamarine, and unable even to kill a chicken properly.” The author is describing her failed accomplishments. By dropping out of school and a common practice for them, killing a chicken. She realizes that she has disappointed her father. She uses imagery to vividly portray the killing of the chicken and create a visualization of her almost failed attempt. A question I have is what was her dad’s thoughts during this moment.
• One discussion question that I would like to raise about this essay is why did she choose this moment as a moment that impacted her?

Cooking is a form of art. It is my form of relaxation and relieving stress. Creating dishes with spices or food items that you do not normally see in a dish. Mixing different textures and temperatures. Exploring new flavors and putting your own twist to dishes that already exist. My family’s favorite dish is rice and my special chicken. Beginning with taking out the pans, turning on the stove, and adding the oil, waiting to hear the oil sizzle. Indicating to me that it is ready. Adding the onions, garlic, and all the other spices together, smelling all the flavors combine into one. The steam warms up the kitchen creating a warm welcoming environment. The sweet and tender smell lingers underneath the doorways advising that the food is almost ready. Creating the tummy to rumble as it awaits the final call that the food is ready. The stove turns off and there is a final taste. A sprinkle of salt to accentuate the neighboring flavors. One plate that not only brings flavors together but brings my family together. Once the food is ready to be served, my family gathers around the table. Each bite is savored. We usually put our phones away and talk about our highs and lows. Dedicating that time to each other. Waiting for everyone to finish their plate of food so no one eats alone. On some days, we spend hours even after eating, sharing our favorite memories and talking about our different interests. Laughs upon laughs are distributed throughout the table as the day comes to the end. Ending the night with joy and welcoming the dreams that come. I look forward to this part of the day due to our busy schedules. We may be doing our own things but once the food is ready, we all come together as a family.