# Hiring Fake Crowds Queues for Hire at McDonald's in Japan By Cowbag | Published 2008-12-28 | Marketing Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/queues-for-hire-mcdonalds-fake-crowds References: [mdn.mainichi.jp](http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20081226p2a00m0na012000c.html) & [japantoday](http://www.japantoday.com/category/business/view/mcdonalds-admits-1000-people-paid-to-join-queue-for-quarter-pounder-debut-in-osaka) After the debut of the [Quarter Pounder in Japan](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcdonalds-japan-evangelion-burgers), it transpires that there was a bit of cheating involved in the massive crowd turnout for this [uber](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sorry-for-your-teams-loss) cool [McDonald](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcdonalds-japan-1)’s viral marketing campaign. The 1,000+ customers seen in line were fake, made up, hired to be there. All part of the viral activity. Do I think this is okay to do? I am not sure. But then if you are worried about ethics, then you would also probably not be into McDonald’s in the first place, I guess. Here’s the job description: ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.2/10 - Popularity: 28% | Activity: 30% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Marketing](https://www.trendhunter.com/marketing) > [Publicity Stunts](https://www.trendhunter.com/publicitystunts) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Fake Crowd Hiring:** The trend of hiring fake crowds for marketing campaigns can disrupt the traditional methods of generating buzz and attracting customers for businesses. - **Viral Event Marketing:** The emergence of viral event marketing can provide a new platform for businesses to attract customers and generate brand awareness with unique and intriguing campaigns. - **Ethical Concerns in Marketing:** The increasing awareness of ethical concerns in marketing practices can lead to a shift towards more authentic and transparent promotional strategies. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Marketing:** The marketing industry can incorporate the trend of fake crowd hiring and viral event marketing to create innovative advertising campaigns for their clients. - **Hospitality:** The hospitality industry can benefit from the use of viral event marketing and fake crowd hiring to draw in potential customers and create memorable experiences. - **Event Management:** The trend of fake crowd hiring and viral event marketing can offer exciting opportunities for event management companies to create unique and unforgettable experiences for clients. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [AI-Fuelled QSR Animated Commercials](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcdonalds-japan-1.md) - [Tourism-Inspired Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/square-burgers.md) - [Cross-Cuisine QSR Bento Boxes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcdonalds-makunouchi-bento.md) - [Hackable Fast Food Menus](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hacked-menu-items.md) - [Burger-Inspired Mystery Mockumentaries](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-icon-1.md) - [Employee-Curated Fast Food Meals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/anti-celebrity-meals.md) - [Scented Fast Food Billboards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/scented-billboard.md) - [Distorted Burger Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ailloween.md) - [AI-Created Burger Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/burger-ads.md)