McDonald's Launches "As Featured In" Meals Celebrating the Brand's Pop Culture Appearances
Launches and Openings | Aug 14, 2023
McDonald's Corp, Palace Skateboards
Venerable fast food brand McDonald’s has been featured in movies, TV shows and popular music videos for decades. Well the midnight munchies mainstay is taking things to the next level now. Beginning August 14, 2023, pop culture fans will be able to order the “As Featured In” meal, with menu items that have made appearances in film, television, and music. The new limited-time meals will be available in more than 100 countries and feature exclusive experiences, custom merch, and never-before-seen content.
In addition to filling their empty stomachs, hungry fans will be able to relive their favorite movie, TV, and music moments featuring McDonald’s, such as George Costanza’s date proclaiming, “I haven’t had a Big Mac in a long time,” on the comedy Seinfeld; a character who’s “exceedingly fond of McNuggets of chicken” in I’m Not Rappaport; and Troy Dyer “taking pleasure in the details” in life such as a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in Reality Bites.
As part of the promoted meals, McDonald’s has partnered with London-based skate and streetwear brand Palace Skateboards, which has featured the chain in its skate videos, to create the Palace McDonald’s merch line. Fans who buy the “As Featured In” meal can scan a QR code on the packaging to purchase apparel from the collaboration. Additionally, McDonald’s is offering a sneak peek at Marvel Studios’ Loki Season 2, via a themed AR experience on Snapchat, to celebrate their “walk on role.”
The “As Featured In” meals include moments from: The movies The Fifth Element, Space Jam, Reality Bites, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, I’m Not Rappaport, Richie Rich, Coming to America, Clueless, 2005’s The Longest Yard, Indian sports film Chak De! India, and the anime film Fallen Angels; Songs including the music video for RUN-DMC’s rap song “You Be Illin” and Mexican hip hop group AKWID’s “Como, Cuando y Donde”; Television shows including the American version of the comedy The Office, the “St. Valentine’s Day” episode of 30 Rock, “The Boyfriend” episode of Seinfeld, the Disney+ series Loki, Spanish television comedy series Aquí no hay quien viva; The popular science book “Brief Answers to the Big Questions” by renowned physicist Stephen Hawking.
The McDonald’s “As Featured In” meal includes a choice of 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, or Big Mac sandwich, with a medium French fries, medium soft drink, and the newly-branded Sweet ‘N Sour sauce, which was inspired by McDonald’s upcoming “As featured in” moment in Season 2 of Marvel Studios’ Loki.
One notable moment I didn’t see mentioned anywhere in the marketing for this promotion was the opening scene from Quentin Tarantino’s cult classic Pulp Fiction. For those of you who don’t remember, the exchange takes place between co-stars Samuel L. Jackson (as Jules Winnfield) and John Travolta (as Vincent Vega), just after the opening credits as the two men are driving to their current assignment. The conversation happens right after Travolta – who’s recently returned from a trip to Europe – fondly reminisces about the legalities in Amsterdam of buying and using certain substances banned in the U.S. It’s just before their gangster characters roll up on an apartment building in Los Angeles to retrieve Pulp Fiction’s “MacGuffin,” laying waste to some former business partners of their boss in the process. The complete Pulp Fiction McDonald’s conversation is below.
Vincent Vega: In Paris, you can buy a beer in McDonald’s. And you know what they call a “Quarter Pounder with Cheese” in Paris?
Jules Winnfield: What, they don’t call it a “Quarter Pounder with Cheese?”
Vincent Vega: They got the metric system there, they wouldn’t know what the fuck a “Quarter Pounder” is.
Jules Winnfield: What do they call it?
Vincent Vega: They call it a “Royale with Cheese…”
Jules Winnfield: “Royale with Cheese…”
Vincent Vega: That’s right!
Jules Winnfield: What do they call a “Big MAC.”
Vincent Vega: A “Big MAC’s” a “Big MAC” only they call it “Le Big MAC.”
Jules Winnfield: “Le Big MAC!” [laughs]. What do they call a “Whopper.”
Vincent Vega: I don’t know I didn’t go into Burger King. You know what they put on French fries in Holland instead of ketchup?
Jules Winnfield: What?
Vincent Vega: Mayonnaise.
Jules Winnfield: God damn [Cringes]!
Vincent Vega: I seen’em do it, man, they fuckin’ drown’em in that shit!