It's not everyday that I'm surprised by an ad I see on television. Especially from a company as large and as conservative as McDonald's. 'Signs' is a 60 second brand ad that uses McDonald's signs to spread messages of love, hope and respect. ‘Thank You Veterans’ reads one sign from a store owner in Bethesda, Maryland. ‘Boston Strong’ reads another sign in the wake of the 2013 tragedy. Fortunately not all the messages are as serious, like ‘Happy 95 Birthday Woody We Love You’ from a store in Keller, Texas. The slow moving stills are juxtaposed against a chorus of children singing a rendition of "Carry On". The ad is part of a larger social media campaign where viewers can go to mcdonalds.tumblr.com and read the stories behind each message, as well as leave their comment. Not everyone however loves the creative developed by Leo Burnett. While those in the advertising industry love the simplicity and out of the Big Mac box thinking, not everyone is crazy about the concept. The twitterverse was quick to bash the creative, describing it as 'tasteless' and manipulative. I have to admit, the first time I saw the spot, I questioned the integrity of the message. The thought that McDonald's was trying to profit from recent tragedies raced through my mind, but as the commercial continued and the messages got smaller and more local the true intent of the spot came through. This is not an ad intended to change McDonald's image, this is an ad that reminds us that behind every McDonald's restaurant are people, with the same hopes and fears as you and I. This is a 'thank you' to the thousands of employees that work at McDonald's – that come in day in and day out to support themselves through school or to provide for their families. This spot is a rare gem in a giant pile of junk and it's a shame that all the negative feedback it's getting is going to scare other companies from taking a chance and creating work that challenges our convention of what an ad should be.