The K-pop playbook: inside McDonald’s ‘Famous Order’ collab with BTS
There are famous orders, and then there is the BTS famous order. Officially the biggest band right now, BTS’s McDonald’s order has finally been served up in the US, before going on tour to nearly 50 other markets. Taking a page out of the K-pop playbook to connect with customers, the collab with the tech-savvy boyband is more than just a 10-piece chicken nugget meal with fries. McDonald’s marketing boss Jennifer Healan explains why.
When McDonald’s announced ‘The BTS Meal’ back in April, the ‘Famous Order’ launch blew up on social media – trending number one in the US and number two globally. At this point, Jennifer Healan, vice-president US marketing, brand content and engagement, knew McDonald’s was “on to something very positive”, admitting that while it had success with the Travis Scott and J Balvin launch, the reaction was “not to the scale of BTS”.