“It’s Lit!” Is the New “I’m Lovin’ It”

When I first heard about McDonald’s latest campaign with rapper Travis Scott in AdAge’s Creativity Daily newsletter, I was intrigued. As an advertising major, I was excited to see what the campaign would consist of regarding its branding and, of course, McDonald’s new product release. However, I was astonished to find that this buzz-worthy collab was just three of McDonald’s existing menu items slapped under the new name of “The Travis Scott Meal.”

Aptly named, “The Travis Scott Meal” contains three of Scott’s “McDonald’s favorites, all for the low price of $6.” The meal includes a Quarter Pounder with cheese, bacon and lettuce, medium fries with barbecue sauce, and a Sprite. The section on McDonald’s website advertising the meal mentions both an email list sign-up for updates and a collaborated merch line. Tactically presented, the link connecting to the merch only offers a space to add in your email, noting that the company would soon reveal the merch.

The McDonald’s Instagram account (@mcdonalds) first brought word to this campaign on Sept. 3, in its post featuring a McDonald’s bag and a doll made to look like Travis Scott holding it. The caption features two cryptic emojis — a cactus and a cheeseburger — with no mention of what was to come. We can assume the cactus refers to Scott’s record label and Instagram handle, Cactus Jack. The next post on McDonald’s account announced that the meal was coming five days later. The company’s last post before revealing the campaign received a mere 33,774 likes compared to the impressive 240,531 likes received on the announcement. In addition to the popular posts, McDonald’s has fully revamped the page adding small details to its bio and even offering the opportunity to “shop” the meal, linking users to its website.

This collaboration is brilliant as both parties are benefitting massively. Scott, a recognized self-brander, has been known to work with many brands in the past; however, working with a brand as large as McDonald’s could set him far enough apart to start his own brand similar to fellow rapper Kanye West. Additionally, McDonald’s has the opportunity to establish consumer relationships within a new market.

The partnership was so successful that some locations even began to run out of essential ingredients. In a message sent out to its employees, McDonald’s referred to the campaign as “a project that’s so compelling to our customers that it’s stretching our world-class supply chain.” For a franchise as successful as McDonald’s, this seems to be an almost impossible feat.

Additionally, the collaboration has blown up on the popular social media app, TikTok. Many creators have published videos, including one where users film themselves pulling up to the drive-through while blasting Scott’s well-known song “Sicko Mode.” From a marketing standpoint, this trend is excellent for all parties involved, as it drives engagement and brings in revenue through enhancing consumer relationships. Content creators who have partaken in this “challenge” have received millions of likes and views and have even filmed themselves going to other fast-food franchises as a joke trying to ask for the meal.

Overall, The Travis Scott Meal has caused a massive uproar on social media. If anything, this campaign shows how beneficial and impactful social media can be on marketing and public relations if done correctly.