A recent trip to the Big Arches has me scratching my head and thinking: Whatever happened to the McDonald's of my childhood? I took my kids for a morning of play at a McDonald's in East Cobb to get out of the late Summer heat. Besides a general lack of cleanliness in the bathrooms that has become the norm at McDonald's I visit, I noticed the above pink flaking paint directly over the children's playground. I understand that restaurants have day-in, day-out wear and tear to contend with. However, in trying to focus on new product offerings and marketing campaigns, McDonald's has let go of a key component in its branding efforts: the physical location.

Contrast this against other quick serve restaurants and McDonald's is in dire need of a makeover. In the last year I have seen a two competing quick serve restaurants get a makeover in the same area that were already heads and shoulders above this McDonald's relating to the "restaurant experience." The marketing efforts that used to go into building a positive experience for visitors (e.g., clean and shiny restaurants, inviting characters) have been lost. In its effort to be "everything to everybody" McDonald's has lost the essence of the brand and therefore risks losing a new generation of loyal customers.

During our visit my three year old looked up at a mural that had been painted on the play area wall. It featured the McDonald's characters that have long supported the brand. Perplexed, he pointed to The Hamburglar and asked "Who is that?" Wow, that really sums it up. If McDonald's isn't connecting with kids, what does that say for the rest of us?

Check out the above commercial from the 70s. It features a direct approach to the pride that was taken in communicating with McDonald's customers, even with subjects not relating to the product. And the scary part is -- the floors and decor in this commercial match the store I recently visited, here in 2007.