Find out all about the interesting facts of The BTS Meal in this article. Stay tuned!
McDonald’s BTS Meal
BTS further cemented their status as global icons through a collaboration with the global fast-food chain McDonald’s. A representative from BTS’s agency, Big Hit Entertainment, announced the collaboration through an official statement. BTS’s fandom could purchase The BTS Meal coupon through a food ordering service prior to the official exclusive release. Depending on the countries and location, The BTS Meal was available via dine-in, take-out, drive-through, and app-based orders, and it was only available during regular hours. The collaboration was the third collaboration for McDonald’s. You might also like: BTS Members’ Ideal Type of Girl (Looks, Height and Weight, Age and Celebrity Ideal Type) Previously, musician Travis Scott and J Balvin started the McDonald’s celebrity-promoted meals. During the promotional event, all McDonald’s employees wore a special black T-shirt with McDonald’s and BTS names in Korean. In some countries, special merchandise such as a BTS photo card was prepared as well. McDonald’s is very special to BTS members. Back in their pre-debut days, they used to visit a nearby McDonald’s restaurant after training. According to them, there was a restaurant about 10 minutes away from their place, and the restaurant was open 24 hours. All of the members felt very close with McDonald’s, and McDonald’s is one of the food places that they all love.
The BTS Meal in Different Countries
From May to June 2021, BTS Meals greeted ARMY in 50 countries, nearly half of the total countries that McDonald’s operates in. The release date in each country was different depending on the COVID condition in each country. From Asian countries such as Thailand, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, European countries, all the way to North and South American countries, BTS fans flocked to McDonald’s to taste the BTS members’ favorite menu. USA released The BTS Meal on May 26th, 2021, alongside Malaysia, Austria, Israel, and lots of other countries. The BTS Meal hit the K-pop home country the following day. Indonesia was the last country to serve The BTS Meal.
The BTS Meal
McDonald’s started The BTS Meal craze when they announced the celebrity-endorsed meal on April 19th, 2021. The special menu consisted of chicken McNuggets (10 pieces), medium-sized french fries, a medium coke, and two kinds of dipping sauces, the special sweet chili sauce, and Cajun sauce. The dipping sauce was taken from the popular dipping sauce that is available at Korean-based McDonald’s. The sweet chili sauce has a sweet taste with a little bit of spice and vinegar. McDonald’s’ Cajun sauce is based on Cajun spices with spicy mustard sauce and a sweet and sour taste. You might also like: Like Father Like Son, BTS’s J-Hope and His Dad Are Alike
The BTS Meal Hype
Despite the global pandemic and social distancing regulations, the sales from The BTS Meal resulted in an increase of more than 40.5% of McDonald’s 2nd quarter sales. Fans stood in lines for hours before the counter was open. In some countries, huge demand caused McDonald’s restaurants to accept customers beyond their full capacity. Due to fear of contracting Covid-19, customers bought The BTS Meal through a delivery service application, and delivery drivers waited outside and inside the restaurant. In Indonesia and Malaysia, more than a dozen McDonald’s restaurants were closed for violating the COVID regulations set by the government.
Netizens’ Reactions to The BTS Meal
Even with the huge fandom base all around the world, the reaction to The BTS Meal was overwhelming and more than people expected. The online community also went wild as well. The official McDonald’s account promoted The BTS Meal through all available social media platforms, mainly Facebook and Twitter. The hashtag #BTSMeal stormed online communities and became a trending topic. Due to the limited number of available products, some fans were left empty-handed despite waiting in queue for hours or ordering from delivery service applications. In Indonesia, delivery drivers swarmed McDonald’s restaurants and caused chaos. More than ten restaurants received temporary shutdowns and were later fined for failing to meet health protocols. The global ARMY and common netizens were left surprised by the huge response from Indonesian fans. They commented, “Amazing; so many drivers,” and thanked McDonald’s employees and the drivers for going through tough times because of BTS’s ARMY. Food critics mainly praised the collaboration between BTS and McDonald’s. They said that The BTS Meal was not a mere collaboration between celebrities and McDonald’s. The BTS Meal also introduced special sauces that previously were not available outside of South Korea.
The BTS Meal’s End
The BTS Meal promotional period started on May 26th and ended on June 25th, 2021. Due to the high demand and the limited number of products, even the remains of The BTS Meal were wanted as well. BTS Meal packaging such as paper bags and plastic cups were sold at more than twenty times the actual price of The BTS Meal. Some fans went even further by keeping the remains of The BTS Meal inside a glass box or picture frame. You might also like: Let’s Take a Look at BTS and Their Pets
The BTS Meal: Expectations VS Reality
The BTS Meal showed how far BTS and Big Hit Entertainment have achieved global stardom. K-pop fans’ response, especially ARMY’s, was far beyond expectations. The sales from The BTS Meal caused a huge increase in McDonald’s sales from the same period a year earlier. The BTS Meal set up a record for selling more than 1 million items since the release date. Most of the fans were satisfied with the price and the taste of The BTS Meal. The price of The BTS Meal was very affordable, even for fans in developing countries. Food critics loved the Cajun sauce and sweet chili sauce. The BTS Meal is another smart commercial move from Big Hit Entertainment and their marketing team. Aside from the limited BTS Meal items, ARMY welcomed The BTS Meal with their heart. Did you get your hand on the popular BTS Meal? Do you love the taste and the packaging? Tell us your opinion about The BTS Meal in the comment section, and don’t forget to share this article with your Twitter account.
