Nippon TV Questions Segment Praising Sponsor McDonald’s

McDonald’s Shonai restaurant that became a hot topic on the Internet

The global fast-food giant McDonald’s offers the same taste no matter where you eat in Japan.

However,

“There is one store in Osaka that is said to be exceptionally delicious for some reason.”

This rumor has been spreading on social media, gaining significant attention.

Jumping on the trend was “Jōhō Live Miyane-ya” (Nippon TV, produced by Yomiuri TV), hosted by Seiji Miyane (61).

On the February 28 broadcast, the show aired a segment titled:

“Special Compared to Other Stores!? Why? Unprecedented Crowds at an Osaka McDonald’s.”

The focus was on the McDonald’s Shonai branch in Toyonaka, Osaka, where long lines of customers had formed, even leading to the distribution of numbered tickets.

The show dedicated a significant portion of its airtime to the topic, from 3:15 PM to 3:32 PM, featuring an on-site report where a correspondent visited the location, interviewed customers, and had a burger researcher conduct a taste review. Even after a commercial break, the studio continued to praise “McDonald’s” using visual panels.

Customers interviewed on the show gave glowing feedback, saying:

“It was amazing.”

The burger researcher also praised the store’s meticulous work, noting that the oil for the fries was in excellent condition, and the cheeseburgers were perfectly shaped.

However, Nippon TV—the parent company of Yomiuri TV—raised concerns about the broadcast. A network insider revealed:

“On that day, multiple McDonald’s commercials featuring actress Sairi Ito aired during ‘Miyane-ya.’ After the show ended, Nippon TV contacted Yomiuri TV to inquire about the segment, questioning whether the program had excessively praised McDonald’s in a way that could be considered advertising. If it is deemed programmatic advertising, compliance regulations require it to be explicitly labeled as an infomercial. Otherwise, there is a risk of it being classified as stealth marketing.”

The program also included taste-testing of the products

The Consumer Affairs Agency’s website states:

“As of October 1, 2023, stealth marketing is considered a violation of the Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations.”

“Regulations under this law apply to advertisements that consumers cannot recognize as advertisements. This includes not only online content such as social media posts and reviews but also advertisements in television, newspapers, radio, and magazines.”

In other words, the government has been strictly warning against stealth marketing.

“It appears that McDonald’s did not request this segment on Miyaneya, nor was it a sponsored project. Instead, the production team simply thought it was an interesting topic and decided to cover it. While they did obtain permission from McDonald’s for on-site filming, there was no detailed coordination, and taste-testing was conducted independently by the program. In fact, McDonald’s even raised concerns about the interview methods, lodging a mild complaint. As a result, a warning was issued internally to avoid creating similarly misleading segments that could be mistaken for stealth marketing in the future,” said a Nippon TV insider.

Given the circumstances, this case likely does not qualify as stealth marketing. However, how did viewers feel about this segment, which enthusiastically praised a sponsor’s product within the program?

Nippon TV was asked whether it had suspected Miyaneya’s segment of stealth marketing, whether it had pointed this out to Yomiuri TV, and whether it planned to conduct further investigations. However, no response was received by the deadline.

Following the broadcast, the impact on the featured store in Toyonaka City was immense. Even after lunchtime on weekdays, long lines persisted, and customers reportedly had to wait one to two hours to purchase food. Regardless of the controversy, the promotional effect was undeniable.