Penn & Teller's "Bullshit" show did a similar experiment with "bottled" (actually, tap) water. It turns out most people rate tap water better if it's served in a bottle and told it comes from a natural spring.

It surprises me in the case of frozen patties like McDonald's though. A frozen patty looks nothing at all like an actual burger made from ground meat. It tastes differently as well, of course, but what matters is that it looks completely different!