McDonald’s Turning Its Signature Golden Arches Upside Down to Make a Statement

Commuters driving past a McDonald’s location in Lynwood, California on Thursday may notice something a bit different, as the chain has flipped its signature golden arches upside down for a very important reason.

March 8 marks International Women’s Day, and Patricia Williams, the location’s franchisee, flipped her sign to mark the occasion.

McDonald’s spokesperson Lauren Altmin told CNBC Make It that the arch was flipped in “celebration of women everywhere.”

“We have a long history of supporting women in the workplace, giving them the opportunity to grow and succeed,” Altmin said. “In the U.S. we take pride in our diversity and we are proud to share that today, six out of 10 restaurant managers are women.”

In addition to the physical arch, McDonald’s will flip its logo on all social media channels and 100 locations will have special “packaging, crew shirts and hats and bag stuffers.”

“For the first time in our brand history, we flipped our iconic arches for International Women’s Day in honor of the extraordinary accomplishments of women everywhere and especially in our restaurants,” Wendy Lewis, McDonald’s Chief Diversity Officer, said in a statement. “From restaurant crew and management to our C-suite of senior leadership, women play invaluable roles at all levels and together with our independent franchise owners we’re committed to their success.”

While the gesture surely had good intentions behind it, some Twitter users noted that if the chain wanted to truly support women, they could do it in a more substantial way.

Photo Credit: Instagram / @jhansa