McDonald's Big Arch burger viral video has added at least $18 million brand value to the chain

By Weston Blasi

 Rivals like Burger King and Wendy's have also been biting off that McDonald's CEO video - and industry experts say it's good for business for everybody 

 That viral CEO burger bite is estimated to be worth millions of dollars in free advertising for McDonald's. 

 Make fun of that McDonald's burger-tasting video all you want. The fast-food chain is laughing all the way to the bank. 

 You've probably noticed that your newsfeeds and social-media timelines have been overrun with videos and memes of people biting into hamburgers this week. This all started when McDonald's (MCD) CEO Chris Kempczinski posted a video to the fast-food chain's social-media accounts last month that showed him tasting the new, supersized Big Arch burger. 

 While the moment came and went - at first - the clip has gone viral over the past week and turned into a multimillion-dollar marketing play, experts say, as Golden Arches rivals have gotten in on the act. The reason: Many viewers have interpreted Kempczinski's tiny bite of the Big Arch, and his awkward praise of the 1,057-calorie burger, as reflective of distaste. 

 "I don't even know how to attack it. God, so much to it. All right, the moment of truth," Kempczinski says in the clip, before nibbling the sandwich. "Mmm. That is so good. That's a big bite for a Big Arch." 

 Many clips and memes have popped up making fun of the bite Kempczinski took of the sandwich, with many claiming he was too corporate and wasn't actually enjoying it - such as how he referred to the burger as "the product," which plenty of parodies were quick to pick up on. The various videos and reshares of Kempczinski's taste test have been viewed over 70 million times on social media. 

 But, most importantly, fast-food rivals including Burger King (QSR), Wendy's (WEN), A&W, Smashburger and Freddy's have all posted their own parody videos featuring their business leaders eating their own food, in not-so-subtle references to Kempczinski's original. 

 But the joke's on them: It turns out that all of these mocking videos have been marketing gold for McDonald's. 

 In fact, the burger-eating posts and subsequent conversation around Kempczinski's Big Arch bite have led to an estimated $18.4 million in brand value to McDonald's this month alone, according to Apex Marketing, a company that specializes in advertising and branding services. That brand-value metric encapsulates value across all social media, TV, radio, digital news and print news. 

 'This is really good publicity for all involved.'Mark Kalinowski, fast-food analyst 

 While it may seem as if sick burns and trolling from rivals would hurt the McDonald's brand, Apex says that doesn't appear to be the case. "At times, not all publicity is good publicity, but I think this is really good publicity for all involved," Mark Kalinowski, a veteran fast-food-industry analyst, told MarketWatch. "It's really low-cost [and] keeps the brand involved on the forefront of the consumer's mind. There's a quirkiness to it." 

 McDonald's says that the Big Arch burger, which began rolling out in the U.S. this week, has seen strong sales stemming from this newfound interest. Some analysts are predicting that the Big Arch could become a signature McDonald's sandwich that could become one of its billion-dollar-selling menu items. 

 "We're glad the Big Arch has everyone's attention, including competitors," a McDonald's spokesperson told MarketWatch. "Early sales are beating expectations." 

 A run of publicity and interest coming to McDonalds's would represent great timing for the fast-food pioneer. McDonald's has been on a mission to lure back reluctant customers in recent months. On its earnings call in February, the chain said it expects 2026 to "remain challenging" as customers battle with inflation. 

 'We're glad the Big Arch has everyone's attention, including competitors.'McDonald's spokesperson 

 Higher prices at fast-food and fast-casual restaurants have been a major headwind for U.S. restaurant chains, as customers tighten their budgets and exercise restraint in terms of what they spend money on. So this viral Big Arch event, and the subsequent posts and conversations about it, isn't just good news for McDonald's - it's good news for all of the fast-food brands that have involved themselves. 

 "This has got a lot of people laughing and thinking of McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's and so forth," Kalinowski said. "Ultimately, this is a net positive for the burger segment, and for McDonald's specifically." 

 Can it actually boost sales? Only time will tell, but Kalinowski thinks it can. After all, viral campaigns - such as the purple McDonald's Grimace shake in 2023 and the chicken-sandwich wars that played out in 2019 - have previously boosted sales. 

 "It can make a material difference," Kalinowski said. "We've seen that happen with social media in the past. This is totally organic." 

 See: McDonald's may bring its 1,057-calorie Big Arch to America soon. Why it could be a billion-dollar burger. 

 -Weston Blasi 

 This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. 

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03-07-26 1437ET

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