Beefed Up

Old posters, framed burger wrappers, and artwork filled the Sky Room at the Carlu yesterday afternoon for a McDonald's exhibit entitled "The Burger as Art: a Retrospective." As a lead-up to the launch of its new Angus burger, the fast-food chain brought in memorabilia from the company's Hamburger University in Oak Brook, Illinois. McDonald's Canada communications director Ron Christianson worked with the company's marketing and communications team to put on the event and turned to Coca-Cola to provide the afternoon's beverages.

Items on display included T-shirts, toys, and old McDonald's TV commercials, including one featuring actor Jason Alexander. "We picked items of an iconic nature," Christianson said. "We wanted people to see the new product and connect to what they've seen in the past." Guests at the event included media, suppliers, and McDonald's employees.Christianson introduced Laurie Laykish, senior vice president of menu and strategy at McDonald's Canada, to announce the new Angus burger at the exhibit. Laykish, who described the burger as a "masterpiece" and "pièce de résistance," unveiled a framed painting of the new menu item, and a costumed Hamburglar joined her for a photo opportunity. The company is highlighting the homemade style of the burger in a new ad campaign with the tagline "Just like you'd make, so why not take credit?"