McDonald's Lawsuit Targeted Five-Year-Old Gellar

In 1981, five-year-old American actor Sarah Michelle Gellar starred in a Burger King commercial that became the first television advertisement to criticize a fast-food competitor by name. She declared, "McDonald's makes their burgers with 20% less meat than Burger King. Unbelievable!" McDonald's sued Burger King, its advertising agency, and Gellar before the companies settled out of court and pulled the advertisements. During the lawsuit, Gellar was not allowed to eat at McDonald's, forcing her to miss birthday parties held there and what she later called "a lot of apple pies."

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