Two young Asian American men starred in their own viral video last year because of a brilliant prank they played on McDonald’s. While eating at their local McDonald’s in Houston, Texas, USA, they noticed that none of the promotional posters on the walls featured people of Asian descent. Instead of complaining, Jevh Maravilla and Christian Toledo decided to have some fun and take matters into their own hands. It was shockingly easy because no one had arranged corporate shredding services to destroy old uniforms.
First, they created a new poster featuring a photo of themselves. Posing with McDonald’s food, they perfectly captured the look of the real posters. They copied the logos and details from a real McDonald’s ad, and they ordered the poster online. That was the easiest part. It’s what happened next that should most interest any company whose staff wear uniforms.
The men had spotted a blank wall in their local McDonald’s where the poster would fit perfectly. But how would they put it up? They realised they would have to impersonate a McDonald’s employee, and it was not difficult for them to obtain a real McDonald’s uniform. One was for sale at a local charity shop. Instead of using corporate shredding services for secure uniform destruction, someone had simply donated it.
When Maravilla walked into McDonald’s wearing the uniform he had purchased and a name tag that read “Jeff Bergala, Regional Interior Coordinator”, no one batted an eye. He and his accomplices waited for the right moment, and hung the poster up. They recorded the whole episode, and it went viral on YouTube.
This was a harmless prank. In fact, it was arguably a very positive prank. It raised a point in a playful way and got McDonald’s a lot of publicity. The men appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, and McDonald’s paid them $25,000 each to appear in a genuine advertising campaign. Maravilla and Toledo were so determined to be positive in how they did their epic prank, they were careful to hang the poster with an adhesive that could easily be removed without doing any damage.
Regardless of the good intentions and positive outcome of this prank, in different hands that old McDonald’s uniform could have been used very differently. The fact that it was so easily obtained should give employers everywhere something to think about. Another person in that shirt could have easily misrepresented themselves as a McDonald’s employee and done all kinds of harm, including theft of money, products or company data. That can be prevented with corporate shredding services, specifically secure uniform destruction.
Old uniforms should be disposed of with as much care as old data to ensure they never fall into the wrong hands. Cyclone Shredding has the specialised equipment to completely destroy old uniforms and uniform accessories to ensure your company is never exploited in a malicious scam. Secure uniform destruction and other corporate shredding services are important tactics to prevent fraud and protect your brand’s good name.
