There’s nothing quite like a McDonalds. If by that you mean, nothing that is so uniform around the world then no, there is nothing quite like it. True, some branches have subtle differences, but a Big Mac is a Big Mac wherever you buy it, even if the price varies considerably – in the Ukraine, you would pay just $1.83 for the delicacy. If you’re looking for your McFix, there are over 34,000 outlets worldwide in 123 countries. For Americans everywhere, it’ll make you feel right at home. There’s even one in Guantanamo Bay, although sadly it’s only open to base personnel. A true lesson in world domination.

But, of course, the biggest brands on the list are American. One of the most iconic brands in the world, Coca-Cola can be found everywhere. It can even be drunk in the jungles of Belize, as the family that owns Coca-Cola in Belize have a jungle lodge there, called Chan Chich where you can, naturally, drink Coke (although at $25 for a burger and Diet Coke you may not want to!)

Coca-Cola aren’t just content with caffeinating the world – they also feel responsible for global happiness, with their happiness barometer (above). According to their findings, “More than half of the people surveyed (56%) cited the taste of Coca-Cola as something that makes them smile”. So, the future happiness of the world is in safe hands – reassuring, hey?

While Microsoft is a relatively new player in the global market, the authoritative tones of the BBC have been reaching the far corners of the world for almost a century. As a kind of hangover from the days of the British Empire, people all over the world still like their news to be delivered in a British accent, and BBC World News goes out to Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and America. But there are worldwide specialist channels too, such as BBC Canada and BBC Persian (above).

Part of this global domination is because the BBC is forbidden to show adverts in the UK, and it relies on license fee payers to fund its programming. Abroad, however, there are no such restrictions and they can also export successful UK shows in slightly different formats (so “Strictly Come Dancing” became “Dancing with the Stars”). It may be definitively British, but apparently Britishness sells..!

But Apple still have a way to go before they catch up with Microsoft. The mega-corporation has offices in around 150 countries all over the world, from Azerbaijan to Zambia, who come together at their Worldwide Partner Conference (see above). And those are only the offices – the products have a much greater reach. You would have to find some pretty undiscovered tribes to find someone who had never encountered a Microsoft program in any form.

As such a huge player in the global market, it has come under criticism and been accused of monopolizing the market, a charge it’s hard to argue with. But Microsoft also have some community-based projects to try and enhance the areas they’re expanding into, such as its Microsoft 4Afrikaproject. So they do some good, but they are definitely a force to be reckoned with.

Not all global brands reach worldwide saturation by their own doing. Apple has the dubious honor of being one of the faked brands in the world, with China being a particular hotspot for counterfeit iMacs, iPads that are a touch too small and Louis Vuitton covered iPhones. In Taiwan, they even have a fake Steve Jobs (above), selling tea on TV. And Iraq has its own fake Apple store, which looks nothing like a real Apple store.

In some ways it’s all a compliment- it means that your brand is so recognisable that something just has to be sleek and white for it to be identified as an Apple product, even if it’s missing its logo. On the other hand, it’s a legal department’s nightmare and Apple has a team working on stopping the counterfeits, but it’s fairly futile. Meanwhile, the real Apple stores have made it across Europe and to Japan and China, so they are well on the way to world domination themselves.

It may not be the most recognized soft drink in the world (more on that later…) but there’s no denying Pepsi’s global influence, with their product available everywhere from Alaska to Australia. But success comes at a price, and the brand has got into trouble in India for using an excessive amount of groundwater, in areas where water is a scarce commodity. Still reeling from that scandal, a second scandal broke, accusing Pepsi of allowing pesticide residue into their sodas. Pepsi was banned in Kerala (along with Coca-Cola) and there were protests in the streets, with bottles of Pepsi being smashed by angry protesters. In response, the brand has launched a number of PR initiatives in India, including a drive to create “a positive water balance”. The efforts are slowly repairing Pepsi’s reputation, but other countries must be watching the company with suspicion…

Suppose I wanted to buy a car on the island of Madagascar, where would I buy one? Assuming I wasn’t busy being distracted by all the talking animals, I would probably head to Antananarivo, where I would find a Ford dealership. After all, it’s good to buy a car from a known brand if you want to be assured of quality. Say I was in Sweden, where would I go? Maybe Ford again. Or Darussalam, Brunei? Same again.

Not content with revolutionising the manufacturing business by inventing the production line, the Ford Motor Company has expanded to every continent and even the most obscure countries. Surprisingly for such an expansive brand, the company has steered clear of controversy, concentrating instead of just making reliable, unexciting cars. However, the Ford family, now minor shareholders in the business, have had more than enough controversy to compensate…allegedly

And while we’re skirting around the issue of big brands in developing countries, here’s Nestle – a brand that has undoubtedly achieved global domination, but with some devastating side effects. A quick glance at their global map reveals how many countries the company works in, and their website talks about their business principles of adding value to the communities they work in, and  saying things like “Our core aim is to enhance the quality of consumers lives every day, everywhere by offering tastier and healthier food and beverage choices and encouraging a healthy lifestyle”. Funnily enough, there is no mention of the aggressive marketing of breastmilk substitutes in developing countries that led to an international boycott.

But as far as success in spreading the brand goes, Nestle can certainly claim credit. You can’t go anywhere in the world without seeing their chocolate and their logo is globally recognised. Whether they can truly claim to be “the world’s leading nutrition, health and wellness company” is another question!

With the secretive government of China, it can be difficult for American brands to break into the market. But one sportswear brand decided to “Just Do It”. And they were successful – Nike has made its home on Nanjing Xi Lu, Shanghai, and is the country’s number one sportswear brand. They have apparently done this by “listening to the voice of the Chinese athlete and then applying creative design and technology to meet their needs.” What they don’t mention is that sales are falling in China, although they still dominate the market.

But that’s not the whole extent of Nike’s global presence – they also have headquarters in Japan and the Netherlands, which cover their whole EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) operation. It’s reassuring to know that their “creative design and technology” is reaching everyone who needs it. The less said about the people making those shoes in the same countries the better…

Peru is notable for many things, but one thing it is known for is its coffee production. Small farmers produce the beans there that are shipped all over the world. So, you’d expect that when you needed a shot of caffeine in Lima , there would be a host of locally-owned coffee shops to choose from. Well, there probably are but there are also a number of branches of Starbucks. In fact, within a few kilometers of Miraflores (a suburb of Lima), there are 8 outlets. And that’s just one example of Starbucks’ worldwide grip – the brand can also be found in 18 European countries, all the major Asian countries and Australia and New Zealand. Oh and Africa, the Middle East and other parts of South America. With a presence on every continent, you are never far from that green mermaid thing…

Sinister is a 2012 American supernatural horror film directed by Scott Derrickson and written by Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill. It stars Ethan Hawke as fictional true-crime writer Ellison Oswalt who discovers a box of home movies in his attic that puts his family in danger.

The film, a co-production between the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, premiered at the SXSW festival, and was released in the United States on October 12, 2012, and in the UK on October 5, 2012.

A sequel, Sinister 2, was released in the United States on August 21, 2015.

The Babadook is a 2014 psychological drama film written and directed by Jennifer Kent in her directorial debut, and produced by Kristina Ceyton and Kristian Moliere. The film stars Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Daniel Henshall, Hayley McElhinney, Barbara West, and Ben Winspear. It is based on the 2005 short film Monster, also written and directed by Kent.

The Babadook was initially not a strong commercial success in Australia and was given a limited release in art house theatres. However, largely after its strong reception at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, the film generated more attention in the United States and Europe which ultimately helped its reputation in Australia.

It was a moderate success, only marginally gaining $7.5 million over a $5 million budget, but gained strong critical acclaim from critics, generally praised towards performances, atmosphere, Kent's direction and screenplay, and the avoidance of gore. It has since gained a cult following.

The Conjuring is a 2013 American supernatural horror film directed by James Wan and written by Chad Hayes and Carey Hayes. The film is the first installment in The Conjuring film series. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga star as Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators and authors associated with prominent cases of haunting. Their reports inspired The Amityville Horror. The Warrens come to the assistance of the Perron family (Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor), who are experiencing increasingly disturbing events in their farmhouse in Rhode Island in 1971.

The Conjuring was released in the United States and Canada on July 19, 2013, and in the United Kingdom and India on August 6, 2013. The film received positive reviews from critics and grossed over $318 million worldwide from its $20 million budget, making it one of the highest-grossing horror films of all time. A sequel, The Conjuring 2, was released on June 10, 2016, also to critical and commercial success.

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (Persian: دختری در شب تنها به خانه می‌رود‎‎ Dokhtari dar šab tanhâ be xânmiravad) e is a 2014 Persian-language American horror film directed by Ana Lily Amirpour. Tagged as "The first Iranian vampire Western", it was chosen to show in the "Next" program at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.

The film is described as being set in "the Iranian ghost-town Bad City" and depicts the doings of "a lonesome vampire".

It Follows is a 2014 American supernatural psychological horror film written and directed by David Robert Mitchell. It stars Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi, and Lili Sepe.The plot follows a girl pursued by a supernatural entity after a sexual encounter.

Filmed in Detroit, Michigan, the film debuted at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. It was purchased by RADiUS-TWC for distribution. After a successful limited release beginning 13 March 2015, the film had a wide release on 27 March. The film was moderately successful, grossing $20.6 million worldwide but received critical acclaim. A possible sequel is in development.

Oculus is a 2013 American supernatural psychological horror film written and directed by Mike Flanagan. The film had its world premiere on September 5, 2013, at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and received a wide theatrical release on April 11, 2014. Karen Gillan stars as a young woman who is convinced that an antique mirror is responsible for the death and misfortune that her family suffered. The film is based upon an earlier short film by Flanagan, Oculus: Chapter 3 – The Man with the Plan.

The Cabin in the Woods is a 2012 American horror comedy film directed by Drew Goddard in his directorial debut, produced by Joss Whedon, and written by Whedon and Goddard. The film stars Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford. The plot follows a group of college students who retreat to a remote forest cabin where they fall victim to backwoods zombies, and two scientists who manipulate the ongoing events from an underground facility. Goddard and Whedon, having worked together previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, wrote the screenplay in three days, describing it as an attempt to "revitalize" the slasher film genre and as a critical satire on torture porn.

Filming took place in Vancouver, British Columbia from March to May 2009 on an estimated budget of $30 million. The film was originally slated for release on February 5, 2010 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and United Artists, but was indefinitely shelved due to ongoing financial difficulties. In 2011, Lionsgate picked up the distribution rights. The film premiered on March 9, 2012 at the South by Southwest film festival in Austin, Texas and was released in the United States on April 13, 2012, grossing over $66 million worldwide.

Trollhunter (Norwegian: Trolljegeren; UK: Troll Hunter; Canada: The Troll Hunter) is a 2010 Norwegian dark fantasy film, made in the form of a "found footage" mockumentary. It is written and directed by André Øvredal, and features a mixed cast of relatively unknown actors and well-known Norwegian comedians, including Otto Jespersen. Trollhunter received positive reviews from Norwegian critics. It opened on 10 June 2011 in the US, to a mostly positive critical reception.

The Woman in Black is a 2012 British-American supernatural period horror film directed by James Watkins and written by Jane Goldman. It's the second adaptation of Susan Hill's 1983 novel of the same name, which was previously filmed in 1989. Produced by Hammer Film Productions, the film stars Daniel Radcliffe, Ciarán Hinds, Janet McTeer, Sophie Stuckey, and Liz White.

The film was released in the United States and Canada on 3 February 2012 to generally positive reviews, and was released in the United Kingdom on 10 February 2012.

A sequel entitled Angel of Death was released on 2 January 2015, without the involvement of Radcliffe.

Let Me In is a 2010 American horror romance film written and directed by Matt Reeves and starring Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloë Grace Moretz, Elias Koteas, and Richard Jenkins. It is a remake of the Swedish film Let the Right One In (2008). It tells the story of a bullied 12-year-old boy who develops a friendship with a female vampire child in Los Alamos, New Mexico in the early 1980s.

Interest in producing an English version of Let the Right One In began in 2007 shortly before it was released to audiences. In 2008, Hammer Films acquired the rights for the English adaptation and initially offered Tomas Alfredson, the director of the Swedish film, the opportunity to direct, which he declined. Matt Reeves was then signed to direct and write the screenplay. Reeves made several changes for the English version such as altering the setting from Stockholm to New Mexico and renaming the lead characters. The film's producers stated that their intent was to keep the plot similar to the original, yet make it more accessible to a wider audience. Principal photography began in early November 2009, and concluded in January 2010. The film's budget was estimated to be $20 million.

Let Me In premiered at the Toronto Film Festival on September 13, 2010, and was released in North America on October 1, 2010. The film was placed on several critics' top-ten list. Many critics noted it as a rare Hollywood remake which stayed true to the original, while others criticized it for being too derivative of the Swedish film. The film earned $24 million in box office revenue worldwide, of which $12 million was earned in the United States and Canada. Chloë Grace Moretz won several awards for her performance with critics praising the on-screen chemistry with her co-star, Kodi Smit-McPhee. Let Me In was released on DVD and Blu-ray in North America on February 1, 2011, and in the UK on March 14, 2011. An official comic book miniseries prequel titled Let Me In: Crossroads was released after the film which establishes the back-story of Abby and ends where the theatrical film begins.

Bollywood is the sobriquet for the Hindi language film industry based in Mumbai, the most populous city of the Republic of India. It is more formally referred to as Hindi cinema.The term "Bollywood" is often loosely used as a synecdoche to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; however, Bollywood proper is only a part of the larger Indian film industry, which includes other production centres producing films in many other Indian languages.

Bollywood is one of the largest film producers in India, representing 43% of the net box office revenue, while Telugu and Tamil cinema represent 36%, and the rest of the regional cinema constitutes 21% as of 2014. Bollywood is also one of the largest centers of film production in the world. Bollywood is also one of the biggest film industries in the world in terms of the number of people employed and the number of films produced. In 2011, over 3.5 billion tickets were sold across the globe which in comparison is 900,000 tickets more than Hollywood. Bollywood produced 252 films in 2014 out of a total of 1969 films produced in Indian cinema.

Sultan is a 2016 Indian romantic sports-drama film directed by Ali Abbas Zafar. Produced by Aditya Chopra under the Yash Raj Films banner, the film stars Salman Khan as the title character opposite Anushka Sharma. The film focuses on Sultan Ali Khan, a wrestling champion from Haryana whose successful career creates a rift in his personal life.

The film was released worldwide on 6th July 2016 and grossed approximately ₹584 crore worldwide and became the fourth highest grossing Indian film of all time.

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Airlift is a 2016 Indian war thriller film directed by Raja Krishna Menon, starring Akshay Kumar and Nimrat Kaur. The script, written by Raja Krishna Menon developed the idea after studying the whole incident of the war, and which he subsequently expanded. The film follows Ranjit Katyal (Akshay Kumar), a Kuwait-based businessman, as he carries out the evacuation of Indians based in Kuwait during the Invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein's Iraq.

With a budget of ₹300 million (US$4.5 million), the film premiered worldwide on 22 January 2016. The marketing of the film played an important role in the film's promotion and collaborated with the flight company Air India, who had a major contribution in the evacuation of record-breaking number of Indians during the war. 

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Rustom is a 2016 Indian crime thriller film written by Vipul K Rawal, directed by Tinu Suresh Desai and produced by Neeraj Pandey. It features Akshay Kumar, Ileana D'Cruz, Arjan Bajwa and Esha Gupta in the lead roles.

The film is based on the real life incident of Naval Officer K.M. Nanavati and businessman Prem Ahuja.

Principal photography of the film was commenced in February 2016 and it was released on 12 August 2016.

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Housefull 3 is a 2016 Indian romantic comedy film co-written and directed by Sajid-Farhad. It is the third installment in the Housefull film series. Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala under his banner Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, it is distributed by Eros International. Housefull 3 features Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh, Jacqueline Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri, and Lisa Haydon in the lead roles.

Principle photography began in October 2015 with filming locations including London and Delhi. The film released on 3 June 2016.

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Fan is a 2016 Indian thriller film directed by Maneesh Sharma and featuring Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role.The film is produced by Aditya Chopra under the banner of Yash Raj Films, and tells the story of an obsessive fan of a star who looks just like the star.The soundtrack album and original score are composed by Vishal–Shekhar and Andrea Guerra respectively. The film was released on 15 April 2016. Made on a budget of ₹850 million.

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Baaghi (English: Rebel) is a 2016 Indian martial arts film directed by Sabbir Khan and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala under his banner of Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment. It features Tiger Shroff and Shraddha Kapoor in lead roles, with Sudheer Babu in a supporting role. Journalists noted similarities between the film and the 2011 Indonesian film The Raid: Redemption and the 2004 Telugu-language Indian film Varsham.

The film was released worldwide on 29 April 2016. Made on a budget of ₹350 million (US$5.2 million)

 

 

Neerja is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language biographical thriller film directed by Ram Madhvani and written by Saiwyn Quadras and Sanyuktha Chawla Shaikh. It was produced by Atul Kasbekar's company, Bling Unplugged, alongside Vijay Singh's Fox Star Studios. The film features Sonam Kapoor as the title character, with Shabana Azmi, Yogendra Tiku and Shekhar Ravjiani in supporting roles.

The plot centers on the Libyan-backed Abu Nidal Organization's hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi, Pakistan, on 5 September 1986. The film is shown from the point of view of the flight's head purser, Neerja Bhanot, who thwarted the hijack attempt by alerting the pilots, thus grounding the plane; Bhanot gave her life to help save 359 of the 379 passengers and crew on board.

Development began in September 2014, when Kasbekar signed Madhvani and Kapoor for a film to be made by Bling Unplugged and Fox Star Studios. Saiwyn Quadras and Sanyuktha Chawla worked on the script, with principal photography taking place in Mumbai. The film features music by Vishal Khurana, with lyrics written by Prasoon Joshi. Neerja was released on 19 February 2016 to positive critical reception, with praise directed to Kapoor's performance, and became one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films featuring a female protagonist.

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Kapoor & Sons is an Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film directed by Shakun Batra and produced by Karan Johar, Hiroo Yash Johar, and Apoorva Mehta under the banners of Dharma Productions and Fox Star Studios. The film stars an ensemble cast including Rishi Kapoor, Sidharth Malhotra, Fawad Khan, Ratna Pathak, Rajat Kapoor, and Alia Bhatt. Kapoor & Sons tells the story of two estranged brothers who return to their dysfunctional family after their grandfather suffers a cardiac arrest.

The film was released worldwide on 18 March 2016. Made on a budget of ₹35 crore (US$5.2 million), the film earned over ₹152 crore (US$23 million) worldwide.

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Dishoom is a 2016 Indian action-adventure film written and directed by Rohit Dhawan. The film stars John Abraham, Varun Dhawan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Saqib Saleem and Akshaye Khanna. The film's score is composed by Abhijit Vaghani and the film's musical numbers were composed by Pritam Chakraborty. The film was released worldwide on 29 July 2016.

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Udta Punjab (English: "Flying Punjab") is a 2016 Indian crime-drama film co-written and directed by Abhishek Chaubey. It is based on drug abuse in the Indian state of Punjab. Produced by Shobha Kapoor and Ekta Kapoor under their banner Balaji Motion Pictures, in association with Anurag Kashyap's production house Phantom Films, it features Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and, Diljit Dosanjh in lead roles.

On 4 June 2016, the Central Board of Film Certification sought a stay on the film's release citing that the themes dealt with in the film were too vulgar for the general audience. As a result, the producers were directed to make a total of 89 cuts in the film. However, on 13 June 2016, the Bombay High Court struck down the stay and gave permission for the film's national release, albeit with a single cut in the screenplay. The film was released worldwide on 17 June 2016. Made on a budget of ₹400 million (US$5.9 million), Udta Punjab has earned over ₹996 million (US$15 million) worldwide.

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