Written by: Vickie Sullivan | May 28, 2026
What the McDonald’s Marketing Mistake Reveals About Brand Authenticity
Remember when McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski ate his first Big Arch burger? Yeah, that marketing stunt did not land as intended. The guy looked like he could barely stomach his own burger, and social media had a field day with it.
A recent Adweek article breaks down why the video sparked such a strong reaction. Gotta admit, some of the responses were hilarious, especially Burger King’s copycat video. From a brand strategy perspective, though, this was a perfect storm of three dynamics coming together:
• Lack of trust. People’s tolerance for anything remotely fake is almost nonexistent. If you can’t genuinely sell the excitement, don’t do it. Your face and body language will reveal what you really think.
• Authenticity requires familiarity. Buyers expect us to not only understand their world but also sound like we belong in it. And jargon is often the giveaway. Kempczinski’s wording (“the product”? “this thing”?) felt painfully disconnected.
• Social media turns awkward moments into group entertainment. Once the video gained traction, everyone piled on, which extended the negative attention. Anything cringe-worthy becomes an opportunity to dissect, mock, and turn into a cautionary tale.
This was an unforced error. McDonald’s could’ve easily had super fans try the burger first and generated far more authentic reactions. Their CEO never needed to be the face of this launch.
The moral of this story: good leaders don’t always make good spokespeople. Sometimes the smartest brand strategy is choosing the messenger whose personality naturally fits the role.
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