After a week teasing the US launch of its new Chicken Big Mac (‘not not a Big Mac’), McDonald’s has dropped a 30 second commercial featuring digital first megastar Kai Cenat. The ad will be followed by a social campaign in which Cenat will seek to drive consumer engagement and uptake of the new limited edition product.
Cenat has built up a huge following via platforms such as Twitch and YouTube, and was recently named one of the 20 most influential creators by Rolling Stone magazine. At last count, his Kai Cenat YouTube channel had around 6.5 million subscribers while sister channel Kai Cenat Live is approaching the 10 million mark.
An adept exponent of brand partnerships, latest estimates suggest Cenat makes around $3m a year from various income streams. Earlier this year, he scored another breakthrough partnership when he unveiled an alliance with Nike.
In the build-up to the Cenat ad, McDonald’s ran a teaser campaign in which it created a fake restaurant called McDonnell’s that was serving its own signature menu item, The Chicken Sandwich. Having stirred up some activity on social media, the attention then switched to the launch of the Chicken Big Mac and the partnership with Cenat.
The Cenat ad poses the question whether the Chicken Big Mac is really a Big Mac. This will be followed up with livestreams in which Cenat will welcome famous friends to try the Chicken Big Mac on his livestream and share their unfiltered reactions. Fans have been invited to visit McDonald’s own social channels to find out when Cenat and his friends will be going live and giving their opinions. Cenat has a reputation for being able to attract huge stars including Kevin Hart, Nicki Minaj and Mr Beast.
Commenting on the Chicken Big Mac launch, Tariq Hassan, chief marketing and customer experience officer at McDonald’s USA, said: “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.”
