For the McRib’s big comeback, McDonald’s masquerades as morons

It’s a big week for fast food enthusiasts. After nine years away, the McRib will return to British McDonald’s menus on Wednesday. The £4.49 BBQ pork sandwich has a cult following and has entered pop culture folklore, in part due to its unpredictable availability (it’s only permanent in Germany and Luxembourg). However, the McRib’s comeback wasn’t announced with a flashy campaign. Last month, a push notification was sent to phones with the McDonald’s app downloaded, designed to look like an accident. It read “McRib_Test.notification_16.10.24 [TEST]”. In recent weeks, McDonald’s TV ads have been crudely interrupted by ‘test’ footage of the McRib – again edited to appear as mistakes. A daringly offhand way to declare a fan-favourite’s long-awaited resurrection – but it’s working. Within days of the ‘accidental’ push notification, articles about it flooded the online press and UK Google searches for “McRib” surged to a near 20-year high. In an era where brands act like your quirky best friend on social media, simply screwing up is just so #relatable.