When Brands Forget the Basics

Before we go in, I have something to share with you.

Your boy is officially a LinkedIn Top Voice! I just feel so happy that I practically flipped my table when I saw it.

It’s been less than 24 hours, and it feels surreal. The Stupidpreneur Movement is just getting started. 🔥

Now to my disappointment story.

Ever have one of those days where nothing goes your way? You know the feeling—emails pile up, traffic never lets up, and your brain’s humming with a thousand little annoyances. 

That was me a few days ago, just feeling wrung out. I crashed on the couch and scrolled through Instagram, hoping for something—anything—to take my mind off the grind.

Instead, I got one of those hyper-produced ads from McDonald’s. “Real Food, Real Good.”

Big close-ups of glossy burgers. A cheesy voiceover gushing about their shiny new “Protein Plus Slice.”

Maybe you’ve seen it too. But it didn’t make me hungry… it made me mad.

See, just three days earlier, my girlfriend and I had tried to salvage a rough week with some comfort food and laughter over a Big Mac and a Coke at our local McDonald’s. Sometimes you just want the easy things to work out. But let me paint the picture—her Coke was more tap water than cola, and my burger was… let’s say, not worthy of any ad campaign. Dry bun, smushed lettuce, the whole letdown package.

We left hungrier than when we arrived, grumbling about how even the classics felt off.

So you can imagine my reaction, sitting there with that Instagram ad in my face, promising all kinds of “real food” upgrades. I couldn’t help but laugh, because here’s a company spending millions to convince us they’ve changed, when just days ago, the basics weren’t anywhere close to right.

Here’s what all this taught me (and what I want to pass on to you):

It’s easy to get swept up by slick campaigns and bold claims, especially when you genuinely want to believe brands are getting better.

But more often than not, the real-world experience just doesn’t live up. Adding a new “protein slice” or trumpeting some healthy twist can’t fix a watered-down Coke or a disappointing Big Mac.

So what’s the move? For me, it’s about cutting through the noise. I keep looking for brands that actually deliver the small stuff, the things you count on.

And when they miss, I let them know, because I figure, if enough of us ask for better, something’s got to give.

If you’ve got your own fast food horror stories—or, even better, found somewhere that surprised you in a good way—hit reply. Would love to hear.

Take care,
— Shashank

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