McDonalds moves beyond food and into lifestyle brand territory

A deepening trend sees companies attempting to harness the power of “lifestyle brands” by expanding into all manner of product lines unrelated to their signature offering. By encouraging consumers to embrace not only just a single product, but an image, attitude, or, indeed, a lifestyle, companies of all stripes are inspiring new levels of brand loyalty and recognition. Hello Kitty, Nike, and Virgin have all shown that long-term success is often driven not by signature products, but by images, symbols, and an implied or overt lifestyle. Now McDonald’s is jumping onto the lifestyle brand trend as part of a move to sharpen its image and regain traction in the face of changing tastes. At the online Big Mac shop, the company is now offering everything from thermal nightwear to sheets, wallpaper and more, all imprinted with a glowing Big Mac on a white background. Kind of reminds us of the novelty men's underwear emblazoned with rival Burger King's trademark, "The Whopper." Will McDonald’s move appeal to the trendier, younger, and more active clientele they are going after? Perhaps. The move is interesting enough to garner coverage on WikiTrend!