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After Pullout Over Ukraine War, Russia’s McDonald’s Replacement Reveals Logo Resembling Burger And Fries

The new fast-food chain that will take over the 850 McDonald’s locations in Russia has debuted its new logo: two orange-yellow sticks representing french fries and an orange circle representing a hamburger against a green background.

On Thursday, the Sistema PBO company, which has managed the McDonald’s restaurant chain in Russia after the corporation left the country, confirmed to Russian state media agency TASS that it had selected a new logo.

McDonald’s, like nearly 1,000 other international companies, pulled out of Russia back in March during the first few weeks of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. After more than three decades of operation in the country, the fast-food chain initially suspended the operation of all of its Russian locations on March 14, before announcing a full withdrawal just two days later.

“The green background of the logo symbolizes the quality of products and service that our guests are accustomed to. The logo will be used in the advertising campaign that we are launching today,” a Sistema PBO spokesperson said, adding that a new name for the replacement chain has not been finalized yet.

McDonald’s said in a statement on March 16: “The humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, and the precipitating unpredictable operating environment, have led McDonald’s to conclude that continued ownership of the business in Russia is no longer tenable, nor is it consistent with McDonald’s values.”

The multinational corporation went on to sell its business to Russian businessman Alexander Govor for an undisclosed sum, although McDonald’s announced it would write off its net investment in the market by up to $1.4 billion.

As part of the deal, Govor agreed to keep on all employees “under equivalent terms” for at least two years and “de-Arch” the chain’s Russian locations. Because McDonald’s continues to retain its trademark in Russia, the new chain is forbidden from using “the McDonald’s name, logo, branding, and menu.”

Source: Newsweek

As Brands Break Up With Russia, Here Are Some Logos They Could Redesign With

Posted on March 18, 2022 by Phil Lam X

Global companies are making their departure from Russia in response to its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

For now, most of these exits seem to be temporary, but just in case brands like McDonald’s, Adidas, and Netflix are looking to cut off ties for good, Czech art director Václav Kudelka has designed some potential logos to make things more… official-looking.

The amusing, pun-filled project imagines household names saying dasvidaniya (that’s bye) to the nation via their logos as pressures intensify and supply chain issues arise.

Cheeky visual references of escape lighten up the mood, from a bird flying out of the “Unileaver” symbol, to the “Adios” logo reflecting a downward trend and a figure locating the exit sign in “FedExit.”

With all the heavy news out there, you deserve a giggle. Head below for some humorous branding wordplays that are pootin’ all those bad vibes, and be sure to pop over to Kudelka’s portfolio to check out more of his projects.

Source: DesignTAXI

USC To Apologize For WWII-Era Actions That Derailed Japanese American Students’ Educations

Posted on October 17, 2021 by Phil Lam X

The University of Southern California is apologizing to former Japanese American students whose educations were interfered with by the school during World War II.

USC President Carol Folt will issue a formal apology to the former students and award them honorary degrees posthumously, according to the Los Angeles Times. The school is also asking the public for assistance in locating the families of around 120 students who went to USC from 1941-42.

“This is a stained part of our history,” USC Associate Senior Vice President for Alumni Relations Patrick Auerbach told the Times. “While we can’t change what happened in the past … the university can certainly still do right by their families and let them know that we are posthumously awarding them honorary degrees so that they can occupy that place in the Trojan family, which they deserve.”

An executive order issued by former President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1943 forced the removal of people of Japanese descent from the West Coast, placing tens of thousands of people in detention camps.

USC refused to release the transcripts of Japanese American students so they could attend another university, the Los Angeles Times reported. When some students attempted to return to USC after the war, the school would not recognize their previously completed courses and told them they would have to start over, their surviving family members noted.

USC alumni have been pushing for the school to apologize for their actions toward Japanese American students during World War II for years, but the issue gained new momentum after George Floyd’s murder last year, which prompted many institutions to examine their roles in acts of racism.

USC law students last year publicized their research project centering on the issue, titled “Forgotten Trojans,” and an Academic Senate committee also pushed for the school to formally recognize the issue, the Times reported.

Folt will officially make the apology and award the degrees next spring at an Asian Pacific Alumni Association gala and will also recognize the former students at the school’s commencement in May, according to the Times.

Source: The Hill

Asian Americans: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO)

Posted on June 12, 2021 by Phil Lam X

John Oliver discusses the large and diverse group of people who fall under the term “Asian American”, the history of the model minority stereotype, and why our conversations on the subject need to be better-informed.

2019 – George Takei On His Memoir, “They Called Us Enemy”

Posted on May 5, 2021 by Phil Lam X

2019 – Veteran actor George Takei may be best known as Sulu from “Star Trek,” but he also has a darker story to tell. During World War II, thousands of Americans of Japanese descent were forced from their homes and sent to internment camps, Takei among them. Now at 82 years old, he says that the Trump administration’s treatment of immigrants motivated him to speak out and revisit this in a new memoir.

George Takei: ‘We Were Terrorized. That’s The History Of America As I Know It’

Posted on April 25, 2021 by Phil Lam X

Actor George Takei became a sci-fi legend when he starred as Mr. Sulu in “Star Trek.” But his road to success was not a sure thing in the America he grew up in. As a young Japanese-American boy during World War II, he was imprisoned with his family in the now infamous U.S. internment camps. He tells our Hari Sreenivasan about the history behind today’s anti-Asian attacks as part of “Exploring Hate,” our ongoing series of reports on antisemitism, racism, and extremism.

Robert Greene Speaks On Critiques To Culture, Fear, Redemption, Malcolm X, And More

Posted on April 3, 2021 by Phil Lam X

Mississippi Approves New Flag Design – Had Been The Last State In The Country To Feature An Image Of The Confederate Battle Flag

Posted on November 10, 2020 by Phil Lam X

The new design, which includes a magnolia blossom, was selected by a state commission in September to be put on the November ballot. The final decision came down to the magnolia image and the “Great River Flag,” which featured a shield with white and red stripes and a symbol representing the Mississippi River.

The flag featuring Confederate imagery was officially retired in June after protests against racial injustice and police brutality led numerous states to reckon with the history behind such symbols.

“Our flag should reflect the beauty and good in all of us. It should represent a state that deserves a positive image,” Rocky Vaughan, designer of the magnolia flag, said in a statement in September.

“The New Magnolia Flag represents the warmth and strength of the good people of Mississippi. Now is the time we show the world that we’re from Mississippi, the Magnolia State,” he added.

Source: The Hill

Adidas x Star Wars ‘The Mandalorian Collection’ Available Now

Posted on November 6, 2020 by Phil Lam X

Everybody’s favourite spacefaring Western in The Mandalorian is back with its second season on Disney+. And what better way to celebrate the hugely-popular Star Wars spinoff than with a brand-spanking new Adidas Originals x Star Wars sneaker pack inspired by the show?

The Mandalorian Collection is a massive pack featuring not one, not two, but nine silhouettes inspired by the various iconic characters of the show. And the best part is that they are all available now on the Adidas US online store, alongside other Adidas Originals x Star Wars collaborations, including Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Boba Fett, and Chewbacca.

Leading the lineup is the NMD_R1 The Mandalorian Shoes, which pay homage to the series’ titular helmeted protagonist. It actually comes in two colourways; the first is a beautifully subtle Core Black/Simple Brown/Silver Metallic colourway (US$140 / S$200), and the other is a more earthy, kids-only Brown/Pale Nude/Maroon variant (US$120 / S$150).

Source: Geek Culture

US Marine Jarrett Morford of Windsor Colorado Investigated After Making Racist Threats to Shoot Chinese People

Posted on October 11, 2020 by Phil Lam X

A Marine who posted a video online in which he uses slurs against Chinese people and threatens to shoot them when he deploys with the fleet is now under investigation, the Marine Corps said Thursday.

Capt. Joseph Butterfield, a Marine Corps spokesman, identified the Marine in the video as Pfc. Jarrett Morford, 20, and said Morford’s command is taking “appropriate action.”

Morford, who is from Windsor, Colo., is now training for a communications job at Twentynine Palms, Calif. He graduated boot camp in August.

“There is no place for racism in the Marine Corps. Those who can’t value the contributions of others, regardless of background, are destructive to our culture and do not represent our core values,” Butterfield said.

“As the honorable Trump said today on Twitter, it was China’s fault,” Morford said in the video. “China is going to pay for what they have done to this country and the world.”

It was not clear Thursday which tweet Morford was referencing. President Donald Trump frequently tweets about China, blaming them for the coronavirus pandemic, which he has called “the China virus.”

It was also unclear Thursday when or where the video originally was posted. But it went viral Thursday on Twitter and Instagram.

The video also included profanity and referenced the caliber of bullet used for the M4 and the M16, the standard rifles issued to Marines.

“I don’t give a f*ck! A chink-headed motherf*cker comes up to me when I’m in the fleet, say 5-5-6 b*tch. That’s all I gotta say,” Morford said. “Say 5-5-f*cking-6!”

Source: Stars And Stripes