The news that a McDonald’s is due to open in The Louvre next month has angered art lovers and historians across the globe. It raises a question which, for me, underlies the intensity of many an anti-consumerist stance: what do we value more highly: footfall or fantasy?
On the one hand, footfall unites The Louvre and McDonald’s. Outside of the US, France is McDonald’s biggest market and last year French ‘McDo’ restaurants welcomed an increase of an extra 450 million customers, up 11% on the previous year. There can be no doubting the fact that the French love McDonald’s. Similarly impressive statistics tell us that The Louvre is the world’s most popular museum, last year attracting approx. 8.5 million visitors.
On the other hand, the fantastical offering of each brand could not be more polarised. McDonald’s gives its customers fast service, fast food and friendly prices which result in a brand that enjoys some of the highest footfall in the world. Though not necessarily a bad thing for a fast food chain, McDonald’s is not a brand which overtly appeals to our imaginations – the problem is often that you can buy exactly the same thing wherever you are in the world, and this challenges the extent to which we can claim to spend our money in interesting ways. The Louvre contrastingly offers its visitors a pause for thought, a piece of history and a window into Paris at its most authentic – it is a brand whose foundations are built on fantasy.
The people so upset by this news need to face up to the fact that we spend our money on fantasy and fast food in equal measure. Ultimately, we know that if no-one went to this restaurant it wouldn’t stay there – but crucially no-one is doubting its popularity. I wonder if people are being unfair towards the integrity of McDonald’s; yes, its reputation has had a mixed history but it has always been able to adapt to new needs and improve its offering when consumers demand it.
Rather than representing a democratistation in culture and reflecting poorly on The Louvre, perhaps The Louvre can challenge McDonald’s democratisation of food and reflect positively on its brand. My hope is that the fantastical setting of The Louvre will spark a different attitude to footfall for the managers of this ‘McDo’. Perhaps we might see a different, one-off menu that challenges mass-market assumptions about McDonald’s…but perhaps I am living in a fantasy world, and some croissant consistency is what’s really needed!
