McDonald’s is rolling out a new menu item in the United States, and the chain is enlisting a Twitch superstar as one of the item’s launch partners. Kai Cenat will use his stream to provide taste tests and reactions for the new Chicken Big Mac, which arrives across U.S. McDonald’s locations on October 10.
Cenat’s blockbuster streams make him one of the biggest draws on Twitch (though as of October 1, he no longer owns the most-subscribed account on the platform). As the Bronx native’s star has risen, he has been offered sponsorships from major consumer brands. He already showed up alongside Snoop Dogg in a T-Mobile commercial, and his latest corporate partner is the world-famous Golden Arches.
To promote the Chicken Big Mac — a poultry-forward version of a fast food classic — McDonald’s teamed up with Cenat to solicit “unfiltered reactions” from the streamer and his “famous friends.” Cenat introduced the partnership with a brief video on his surging YouTube channel, and other creators have already offered their takes on the sandwich.
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Influencer partnerships have become common in the fast food industry as chains seek support from the creators Gen Z trusts. That’s how we got a MrBeast meal at Zaxby’s and Keith Lee-inspired specials at Chipotle.
But the Chicken Big Mac marketing strategy includes more than just a single creator partnership. McDonald’s also teamed up with Chain — a dining company co-founded by actor B.J. Novak — to introduce its new menu item at a one-day Los Angeles pop-up called McDonell’s. The idea is to make the Chicken Big Mac seem a little more elevated, even if it just a variation on a notable fast food sandwich.
“With the introduction of the Chicken Big Mac, we’re excited to pay homage to one of our most iconic menu items, the Big Mac, and introduce it to a whole new generation of fans,” said McDonald’s USA Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer Tariq Hassan in a statement. “By tapping into some of our fans’ biggest passions from dupe culture to live-streaming, we’re able to serve up more than just a sandwich. There truly is something for everyone to enjoy in this campaign and we’re bringing experiences that will surprise and delight them, all before the Chicken Big Mac hits restaurants.”
Kai Cenat already loves the Chicken Big Mac he helped launch. We’ll find out if the general public agrees with him when the new menu item drops on October 10.
