With nearly 40,000 locations in over 100 countries, tens of millions of people worldwide regularly eat McDonald’s iconic burgers. But in an Instagram post that’s blowing up the internet, company CEO Chris Kempczinski appears less than thrilled to be eating one himself.
The video was posted to Kempczinski’s Instagram account a month ago, but found new life over the weekend on platforms like X and TikTok, with many users wondering if it’s “intentionally cringe” and saying that Kempczinski looks “uncomfortable” and “like he’s gonna hurl.”
“From this video, it seems likely the CEO of McDonald’s has never eaten McDonald’s before,” one user wrote.
In the post, the CEO presents a new menu item: The Arch Burger, a burger with two patties, three slices of cheese, crispy onions, pickles, Big Arch sauce, and more.
“This is something we have tested already in Portugal, Germany, Canada,” Kempczinski tells viewers. “I love this product. It is so good. I’m going to do a tasting right now, but I’m going to eat this for my lunch, just so you know.”
“‘We’ve tested it on the Germans and the Canadians, and now we believe it may even be fit for human consumption’,” one TikTok user mocked.
After the CEO introduces the burger, he comments on how big it is and wonders “how to attack it.” Then he takes one bite, which users have called small enough to call Kempczinski’s genuine enjoyment of the burger—which he repeatedly refers to as a “product”—into question.
“Dude’s 1000% vegan,” one X user commented. “It’s giving Squidward trying a Krabby Patty for the first time,” replied another.
Other users leveled more substantial business criticism. “Going direct only works when it’s authentic,” one user wrote, before listing other issues with the communication. “Really kills the mood if it feels like the CEO’s blinking in Morse code.”
“Asking this guy to eat a McRib is going to be like watching an episode of Fear Factor,” remarked one X user.
While the video was, of course, meant to promote the burger, it seems to have had the exact opposite effect, as the video is quickly going viral for all the wrong reasons, essentially turning it into a PR nightmare.
Fast Company reached out to McDonald’s about the promotional video but did not hear back by the time of publication.
Chrissy Bernal, CEO of Be a Better Brand PR, tells Fast Company that comfortability with a brand’s item is massively important.
“Audiences are highly attuned to spot hints of inauthenticity,” Bernal explains. “His awkwardness equated to a lack of cohesion with the audience.”
Likewise, Bernal says that social media users were spot-on to call out his use of the word “product,” explaining that it felt “clinical and detached.” Bernal also notes that the term “clashed with the emotional equity McDonald’s has spent decades building.”
Social media drama aside, the chain has been reporting solid sales and is performing well when it comes to the fast-food wars. So, regardless of the cringe video, we’re guessing many Americans will still gladly eat an Arch Burger.
Plus, at the end of the day, the internet loves a dogpile, and users often look for a target to drag. And either way, any publicity is good publicity, as the saying goes.
“People are talking about this video like it’s anything but positive for McDonald’s,” one X user wrote. “The CEO is piling up millions of free impressions, with the new product front and center the whole time.”