McDonald's Has Another Celebrity Meal/Merch Tie-In (and It's Expensive)

By Brendan Menapace

Last August, McDonald’s was throwing a lot of shade at other fast food brands for branded promotions that looked like streetwear drops. They took to Instagram with a satirical post about Spicy Chicken McNuggets.

Ha! The idea of fast food companies acting like lifestyle brands and collaborating with other brands. What a gas!

Fast-forward to today, and McDonald’s has not only dropped numerous limited releases eerily reminiscent of those streetwear drops it turned its clown nose up at, but it's now on its second artist merchandise/meal co-branding effort of the last few months.

After we all got done telling them Cactus Jack sent us for the Travis Scott meal (and subsequent insane merchandise drop), McDonald’s teamed up with J Balvin for another branded meal and merchandise tie-in.

J Balvin and McDonald's unveil their collab merch collection. pic.twitter.com/69zUJuNfAO

— Hubwav (@HubwavMedia) October 15, 2020

And it’s not like this was an item or two. There’s an entire merchandise shop that includes:

Five different hoodies
Two different rings
A clock
A coaster
An apron
Three different bed sheets
Three blankets
A stainless steel water bottle
Two rugs
A chair
Slippers
A wallet
A temporary tattoo
Sunglasses
A watch
A pen and stand that looks like a McDonald’s cup and straw
Eight hats
14 Short-sleeve T-shirts
Two long-sleeve T-shirts
Four crewneck sweatshirts

Also, we haven’t even gotten into the pricing. They are ... not cheap. A T-shirt will run you $70. The pen set? $75. Hats are $50. The folding chair, which is just like any other outdoor chair and doesn’t even have arms or a cupholder, is $120. A hoodie costs $180.

Why is j balvin charging this much for McDonald's merch??? This used to literally come for free in happy meals... pic.twitter.com/yRISH2cTpI

— priscilla🐊 (@PriscilluhhhG) October 15, 2020

That definitely seems like one of those streetwear drops, doesn’t it, McDonald’s? This doesn’t come as much of a surprise considering how robust the Travis Scott offering was. But, we don’t forget about the 2019 snark.

As the kids say, we have the receipts, McDonald’s. No one is going to forget that you started trashing these promotional campaigns and then decided it was a good idea.

And, clearly, it is a good idea. The demand is there. In 2020, when so many artists can’t tour, this is a good revenue stream. It might even be the new way to know if you truly “made it.” Sure, you were on the cover of Rolling Stone and sold out Madison Square Garden, but do you have a McDonald’s meal? No? Well, keep grinding, kid.

weird flex, but ok.

yes merch includes a @JBALVIN receipt tattoo pic.twitter.com/cQaztI94Wi

— McDonald's (@McDonalds) October 15, 2020

It will also be interesting to see if there are any followers, like if another fast food brand gets celebrity endorsements for limited run merchandise tie-ins with a meal.

Fast food is just as susceptible to limited-run hype. Remember when the “Mulan” promotional sauce at McDonald’s achieved meme status because of an episode of “Rick & Morty,” and fans wreaked havoc on innocent McDonald’s employees and the surrounding neighborhood?

Yeah. The demand is there. We'd be surprised if this is the last of these merchandise collaborations.