The restaurant company is promoting a new ‘As Featured In’ Meal, featuring a collection of menu items that have made appearances in film, music, and TV.
Well, we now know what all those teasers were about on social media and Times Square. After days of cryptic messaging tying seemingly random references together – from Richie Rich to Friends, and from Loki Season 2 to “You Be Illin” by Run DMC – McDonald’s today announced its new “As Featured In” Meal.
The meal includes a choice of 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, Quarter Pounder with Cheese or Big Mac, along with fries, a medium soft drink and a newly branded sweet ‘n sour sauce. In other words, it features a collection of menu items that have made appearances throughout film, television and music. The sauce is inspired by McDonald’s “next as featured in moment,” which is with Marvel Studios’ “Loki” season 2, streaming Oct. 6 on Disney .
The meal will be available starting Aug. 14 in more than 100 countries and the launch will include exclusive experiences for fans, custom merch and more. For the merch, McDonald’s is partnering with Palace, a London-based skate and streetwear brand that has featured McDonald’s in its skate videos. The Palace McDonald’s merch line is available to those who buy an As Featured In Meal and scan the code on the packaging. Also, on Aug. 18, Palace will take over the first McDonald’s restaurant in the U.S., in Downey, Calif., with a popup fashion experience.
Additionally, McDonald’s will have a role in the upcoming “Loki” season 2, and fans can get a sneak peek via a themed AR experience on Snapchat when they scan the sweet n’ sour lid. In celebration of the “Loki” promotion, a Brooklyn McDonald’s (6620 Bay Parkway), will be transported back to 1982, featuring McDonald’s memorabilia from the era. The experience starts Aug. 30 and continues for three days only.
"It's not only our real-life fans who have a go-to order... for decades our favorite movie and TV characters have, too," Morgan Flatley, global chief marketing officer and head of new business ventures, said in a statement. "The As Featured In Meal is our biggest Famous Order yet, celebrating the most memorable McDonald's references across the world of entertainment.”
This latest Famous Order comes on the heels of a successful cadence of such meals, starting with the Travis Scott Meal in 2020. That promotion was so successful, McDonald’s experienced a Quarter Pounder shortage. Other Famous Order promotions have included BTS, J Balvin, and Saweetie. These marketing pushes have helped propel McDonald’s sales and traffic throughout the past three years and have done so without adding SKUs or operational complexity, as they feature already existing items. As Featured In is no different.
Notably, As Featured In comes on the heels of globally unified marketing campaigns, Wanna Go to McDonald’s, to celebrate the FIFA Men’s World Cup, and the FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign, which was featured in 28 markets. During the company’s recent Q2 earnings call, CEO Chris Kempczinski said the global campaigns are examples of how a “One McDonald’s Way” approach will drive greater connectivity and efficiency worldwide.
Also during that call, Kempczinski noted that marketing and a focus on core menu items will continue to be a priority for the brand moving forward.
“You're seeing evidence of where we continue, I think, to up our game from a marketing standpoint, that's driving strength around our brand scores,” he said. “Our brand has never been in a better place than it's been.”
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]
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