Daily Dirt: If you want beer at McDonald’s, you’ll have to go to Europe

Daily Dirt for Aug. 21, 2021

Vol. 43 of the Daily Dirt can be catalogued as a throwback to a more simpler time, back when TV commercials had more of a personal feel. Welcome to today’s three thoughts:

1. Best commercials of all-time? How about these:

A. It first appeared 42 years ago, but still seems fresh in many minds — at least if you are an NFL fan. Coca-Cola and Mean Joe Greene of the Pittsburgh Steelers teamed up to both sell a product and touch America’s heart. “In the ad, a young boy selflessly shares his bottle of Coke with Joe, who is clearly down and had a rough game,” notes Alyssa Mertes of qualitylogoprodicts.com. “Touched by this offer, Joe tosses his jersey to his No. 1 fan with the classic line, ‘Hey kid, catch!” The commercial did as much for the NFL as did for Greene and Coca-Cola.

B. The most famous game of H-O-R-S-E unfolded in a 1993 McDonald’s commercial featuring NBA stars Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, who were allegedly competing for a Big Mac. The commercial first aired during Super Bowl XXVII, and helped popularize the phrase “nothing but net.” More than a decade later, a follow-up was produced, showcasing LeBron James and Dwight Howard, who also played for a Big Mac.

C. No such list like this would be complete without the Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef?” commercial from 1984. “People (still) utter the phrase whenever they’re looking for more substance, whether it’s a professor grading an essay or a business professional wanting more details in a presentation,” according to Mertes, who said the commercial changed fast-food advertising forever. “Never before had a quick burger joint achieved such pop culture relevance,” she writes. Wendy’s was on the cusp of bankruptcy at the time the commercial first aired, and a year later had pulled in a record $76.2 million in sales.

2. Almost one-third of all the pizza eaten in the world is consumed inside the borders of the United States. The most popular pizza chains in America are:

A. Domino’s: Now has 15,900 stores in 85 countries.

B. Pizza Hut: Domino’s and Pizza Hut combine to command more than half of the U.S. pizza market.

C. Little Caesar’s: The iconic “Pizza! Pizza!” catch phrase dates to 1979 when Little Caesar’s offered two pizzas for the price of one.

D. Papa John’s: Papa John’s is the youngest of the big four, having been around since only 1984.

3. American fast-food chains continue to make inroads in Europe. The three most popular U.S. chains are McDonald’s, KFC and Burger King. McDonald’s reports it has more than 8,400 outlets in 39 different European countries.There are numerous menu differences between U.S. and European fast-food restaurants. For instance, McDonald’s offers quite a few items in that it doesn’t offer in America, including:

Beer.

Pork sandwich with horseradish sauce.

Fish McBites.

Mozzarella dippers

Gazpacho (cold soup, featuring raw vegetables)

Fried shrimp

Mush burger (This is available only in Bulgaria and is made up of pork topped with horseradish on a bun.)

McHotDogs

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. He disdains salad.