The Statistics Behind McDonald's Co-Branded Meals and Merchandise Releases

By Brendan Menapace

You know, there might just be something to the whole “use celebrity endorsements and tie-ins for branded merchandise” thing.

We knew McDonald’s collaborations with BTS and Travis Scott would do well, considering these are some of the biggest stars on the planet. But, we never expected them to do quite as well as they did (see: used paper bags ending up on eBay).

A survey by Pipslay found that 54% of Americans have bought a BTS or Travis Scott meal or merchandise from McDonald’s.

Further, 26% of survey participants said they have bought both Travis Scott and BTS meals or merchandise. Twenty-five percent said they haven’t yet, but will. Of those who purchased them, 48% said it was directly because they were a fan of the artist involved in the collaboration. Sixteen percent said “I just went with the hype,” and when you look at the resale prices, you can’t blame them.

When asked what particular products they buy when endorsed by celebrities, the most (28%) said it was accessories like bags, shoes or jewelry. Twenty-two percent said they bought photos, autographs or movie posters.

Celebrity endorsements work. Even for big brands that you think barely need to advertise themselves, like McDonald’s or Coca-Cola, adding a well-known face or name to your product gives it a boost. The survey found that 63% of men “often get influenced by celebrity endorsements while making purchases,” compared to 37% of women.

With these statistics as evidence that putting a famous artist’s name or logo on something like a McDonald’s meal (especially when the actual menu items aren’t any different), it’s safe to say that these will continue. And that means that more companies will look for special edition packaging, apparel, accessories and more.

As we know, the only thing that works better than celebrity endorsements is branded merchandise.