40 Unusual Things People Came Across That Made Them Think They’d Entered A “Parallel Universe”

Ask any marketing expert, and they will tell you that if invention is the mother of necessity, then re-invention must be due to the evolution of those needs. No wonder so many brands, from Apple to McDonald's, rebrand themselves from time to time, whether it’s a logo or the exterior of the restaurant.

“Looking at all those remakes of old movies, they’re still telling the same stories, but they have to find new ways to do it as time passes. In the same way, companies must continuously revisit their brand strategy to keep up with the latest market shifts to communicate their story effectively to the intended audience,” designer and marketing expert Shantanu Kumar argues.

There are many reasons why brands decide to update the look of their brands, products, and services. Sometimes it’s because they seek to refresh their image because the old one no longer reflects their values. A smart rebrand can revive the company’s look and feel, making it more appealing to the customer of today.

Another reason for brands changing their usual look may come down to the fact that they want to appeal to a new target market, which is especially the case with growing companies.

McDonald's is known for its unmistakable identity with its iconic golden arches meeting the diners. But there are numerous examples of revamped, unusual McDonald's buildings surfing around the internet, like this “World’s Largest Entertainment McDonald’s” (now known as Epic McDonald’s) in Orlando, Florida.

The “Nonstandard McDonald’s” account on Twitter is dedicated to documenting unusual and sometimes tasteless McDonald’s buildings from around the world. According to the account’s bio, it is aimed at “preserving the only architectural heritage of the western world.”

What’s interesting, however, is that finding photos of these unusual Mcdonald's is becoming a task in its own right. Krieger, the creator of the “Nonstandard McDonald’s” Twitter, told Vox: “I was just surprised at how hard it was to find photo evidence of these weird McDonald’s that I had been to a couple of times, including the so-called Mayor McCheese mansion in Independence, Ohio.”

According to him, “One thing you figure out very quickly is that most of these places are no longer operating. They’re defunct.” Vox explains that many of these offbeat McDonald’s were pilot restaurants for culinary concepts that were eventually abandoned by the corporate mothership, such as “McDiners” which served classic greasy spoon fare.

Today, these unusual McDonald's are becoming a rarity since the company put a lot of effort into modernizing their standard, family-friendly appearance. Now the restaurants have a slick, modern look that many say lacks its original identity.