If you spend a lot of time online, you probably saw it: the McDonald’s CEO Big Arch video. On the 3rd of february, Chris Kempczinski posted an Instagram reel reviewing the Big Arch burger. The review quickly went viral, but for all the wrong reasons. Viewers mocked Kempczinski’s awkward reaction and corporate phrasing. It gained so much traction that others started parodying the bite. All the memes online lead me to want to know more about the situation. Here’s the context, how the meme began and how McDonalds responded.
The context behind the bite
Those from Canada, Portugal, the United Kingdom and Germany might already know about the Big Arch burger. It was first introduced as a trial meal which then began it’s global roll out in 2025. The burger position itself as a better meal than the Big Mac. It’s aimed for those seeking a lot of proteins for a low price. The video was meant to promote the burger U.S launch in the following month. The video promotes the characteristics of the Arch while also trying to appeal to their social media population
“The Big Arch might be my new go-to lunch order. Who else is counting down the days until it’s in a store near you?”
Why Put the CEO in the Spotlight?
Promoting content by using the CEO taps into the concept of brand humanization. It’s a strategy in which the higher ups of a company record themselves doing every day activities in order to make the brand look human and relatable in the eyes of the consumer. By using Kempczinski to advertise the Big Arch, it’s trying to show it’s customers that he’s just like everyone else and that eating fast food is more than just associated to the common person.
McDonald is used to doing brand humanization. Up until 2016, the company was using mascots to advertise their products. They’ve since then retired them in favor for bigger presence on social media. They have brought back the mascots for certain occasions like in 2023 to celebrate Grimace’s birthday. On social media, the company mainly post McDonald edits of current popular memes, video games, animes and tv shows.
How the Meme Toof Off
Initial reactions to the video were tame. It changed on February 25th when an Instagram user Garron Noone published a reel roasting the video. Garron pointed out how small of a bite the CEO took and how he named the burger a «product» instead of a «meal». The original video gained massive traction as some gave their own spin on the review, while others started satirizing it. Brands, such as Burger king, A&W and KFC jumped on the meme with their own recreations.
- The social media consensus is that the video shouldn’t have been posted since it dehumanizes Chris Kempczinski even further. The video feels low quality and as if it didn’t get proper planning. People are saying that the way he talked and acted during the video makes him look like just another billionaire CEO that’s disconnected from the reality of it’s customers. Some speculate that Kempczinski is repulsed by McDonald and that he didn’t even eat the burger in the video.
- Others have the opposite view. They see the mockery as a way for McDonald to get free organic advertising. They also believe that the tiny bite and the wording is intentional and a way to drive engagement. Kempczinski’s video got a massive boost in views after Garron’s roasting. As of the 18th of march, it’s sitting at 15,6 million views. While there are no concrete numbers, Many McDonald stores across canada received numerous calls asking whether the Big Arch was back in stock. Overall it got a lot of the internet to think about the brand and crave their products.
McDonald’s response: Lean In
McDonald was quick to respond to the PR disaster. Instead of trying to hide the mistake, they went with it. On march 3, McDonald’s U.S. social media accounts posted a meme poking themselves with it; essentially questioning how the review was even published. By being playful about it, they managed to tone down the hate and even get people to support them.
What can we learn from it?
As seen with the McDonald’s CEO Big Arch video, any piece of content on social media becomes brand content. It doesn’t matter if it’s from a personal account or brand account; consumers will treat any content posted as if it represents the brand. As such, it becomes important to never skim and make sure that all content released respects the brand. Poorly made content on a personal account can become a liability for the brand.