McDonald's apologises for "PSI" print ad
Fast-food giant McDonald's Singapore apologized on Thursday for its recent "PSI" print advertisement, which took a cheeky bite out of the worsening haze condition in Singapore.
The “PSI” advertisement, which spelt out "Today's Peak Sauce Index is looking deliciously high", was published in local newspapers on Thursday when Singapore experienced one of its worst days of haze in history.
The advertisement drew flak from some who thought it was tasteless. Nasser Mohammad posted on McDonalds’s Singapore page saying it was “not funny, McDonald's.”
Others however, thought Singaporeans need to lighten up.
Cheng Chee Siong posted on Facebook prompting Singaporeans to “have sense of humour as well as being positive in spite of the hazy times we are now in.”
A spokesman for the fast-food chain said that the advertisement was "not intended to trivialise the current haze situation". She added that the “one-time advertisement” was designed and placed when the haze situation was not as severe.
Given the worsening haze condition, the ad was "inappropriate" she agreed.
"We are truly sorry that it has led people to feel that way," the spokesman said. "We share the concerns of Singaporeans and were equally surprised to see PSI levels hit record highs overnight."
The PSI reading hit a new all-time high of 371 on Thursday afternoon at 1pm. Since then, PSI readings have broken previous records with a reading of 401 on Friday at 12pm.
McDonald’s also halted its delivery orders starting from Wednesday “in order to ensure the safety of McDelivery riders” as air pollution continues to choke the city. All McDelivery orders will be halted until further notice,” the statement read.
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