How McDonald’s BTS Meal UK Is a Marketing Success

The sensational K-Pop band BTS has joined hands with McDonald’s to present the particular McDonald’s BTS meal UK. Considering the band’s fan following and McDonald’s, this collaboration has become an enormous success. You must read till the end to find out what the special menu includes, a brief review of the same, and why it is a marketing success.

Everything about BTS

BTS, or the Bangtan Boys, is a boy band from South Korea with a colossal following worldwide. In fact, according to statistics, BTS is currently the most famous K-Pop band globally.

Its social media following proves its success since its launch in 2013. Most of us are already aware of the fantastic music they create, and with the McDonald’s BTS meal UK, we can enjoy the food the boys love.

The McDonald’s BTS meal UK is undoubtedly a way in which the BTS Army and the other fans can feel closer to their favorite idols. Before knowing what the menu includes, why not check out the fantastic ad featuring the Bangtan Boys for the launch of the BTS meal McDonald’s UK?

The boys have recreated a version of their hit song Butter for the ad, and the Army is very excited about it! Besides, the poster for the special menu is exciting too!

It features seven French fries in the pattern of the BTS logo. The seven fries represent the members of the band: Kim Namjoon (RM), Kim Seok-Jin (Jin), Min Yoongi (Suga), Jung Ho Seok (J-Hope), Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung (V), and Jeon Jungkook (Kookie).

McDonald’s BTS meal UK menu

The goal of the particular McDonald’s BTS meal UK is to include some of the go-to meal orders of your favorite BTS members. This meal is available in select outlets across several countries. But, first, let’s check out what the menu looks like.

Nine or Ten Piece Chicken Nugget Pack

This set includes gobble-worthy, crispy Chicken McNuggets. Now, you can give each of your friends one pack of it.

A juicy piece of chicken is enclosed in a wonderfully seasoned tempura coating on the outside.

.When you bite into one while listening to a BTS song, your taste buds will become a musical celebration! From the ad, it seems like this meal is the favorite of Jeon Jungkook and Kim Taehyung.

A Medium Beverage and Medium Fries

Like BTS, the fries in this meal are hot and crispy, and Kim Namjoon and Jimin recommend a cool glass of Coke. But on the other hand, BTS fans are well aware of J-Hope’s love for Sprite. So, in this meal, you get an option to choose between Coke, Fanta, and Sprite for the beverage.

Of course, the fries are always an excellent idea, but the cold soda gives the whole thing a delicious touch that BTS will undoubtedly like. Moreover, when the recommendation comes from the handsome leader himself, there is no way you won’t try it!

Sweet Chilli and Cajun Sauces

A slight spiciness and sweetness are what BTS members are all about. These limited-time additions, chosen by BTS themselves, are based on the sauces offered at McDonald’s South Korea and give the meal a welcome flair.

Min Yoongi loves the sweet chili sauce with the sweet, tangy, and hot flavors all in one packet. On the other hand, handsome Jin believes that the Cajun Sauce reigns supreme with the addition of peppers and chilies. In our opinion, there isn’t a better way to liven things up!

As mentioned earlier, the BTS meal McDonald’s UK may not be available in all outlets. However, checking out your options on the McDonald’s website is better than feeling disappointed later.

Moreover, some outlets also let you pre-order the meal because it is a limited edition and may be unavailable if you are late. Like this particular menu, McDonald’s has collaborated with artists like Travis Scott.

McDonald’s BTS meal UK Review

In partnership with the global sensation BTS, McDonald’s expanded its menu internationally. Is it as good as it sounds? Here is a brief review of this celebrity meal:

Info

The meal’s price is a little bit on the higher side. But, of course, it represents the premium category because the BTS members choose each item. Moreover, when configured individually, the price of the meal does not include the specialized sauces.

Each meal includes ten chicken nuggets, a medium order of fries, a standard soda, and two unique dipping sauces (you must purchase this separately). Therefore, if you are judging from the pricing point, it may seem a bit unreasonable. However, collecting the wrappers and merchandise may be worth the price if you are a BTS fan.

The Ordinary Things

The fries, soda, and chicken nuggets are standard McDonald’s fare. Coming to the fries, they have a terrific potato-to-salt ratio while being saltier than others. They are soft and taste fantastic with just the proper amount of crunch. The chicken nuggets are excellent too. They have soft white chicken, and the outside was a lovely, crispy golden brown.

The Dips

You may have a mixed reaction when it comes to the dips. While the Cajun may not taste very authentic, the other indeed lives up to the expectation.

Cajun

It feels that McDonald’s has somehow not named this one correctly. There is hardly any Cajun flavor in this sauce, which also goes slightly against the savory flavors of Cajun food. Moreover, you may feel like this is just another version of the regular McDonald’s mustard sauce- just a little spicier!

Sweet Chilli

This one is the real deal. Please add this to the McDonald’s menu year-round. It is similar to McDonald’s sweet and sour sauce with an Asian twist. The sauce immediately hits you with sweetness, followed by a more robust but manageable twinge of sourness, then a very light tint of spice.

Was the dinner worthwhile, considering that you must purchase the dips separately? You have to check it out yourself. It is noteworthy that many individuals find it interesting due to the novelty of it all, the unique BTS packaging, and the exclusivity of being a limited-run item. Overall, we believe it is undoubtedly worth a try!

Why is the BTS X McDonald’s Collaboration A Marketing Success?

The McDonald’s BTS meal UK was launched in 49 countries over two months, taking the marketing world by storm. Depending on where you are, the meal comes with 10 or 9 pieces of Chicken McNuggets, a medium beverage, Fries, and two unique dipping sauces: Cajun and Sweet Chili. So, whether you like the K-Pop group, you’ve likely heard about the BTS meal at McDonald’s.

Even though it may seem obvious that a cooperation between a world-famous boy band and a major fast food company would be a marketing success, there are four lessons one can learn from the campaign that small firms without the resources to work with celebrities can apply.

Remember who your target market is

When McDonald’s addressed followers of the well-known K-pop group, it did so considering their expectations and language. The K-pop scene’s social media strategies and content types inspired the campaign’s concept, such as teasers and postings with a concert tour motif.

For instance, in April 2021, over a month before the BTS meal’s first release date in the US, McDonald’s revealed the release date for each country in the form of concert tour dates on their Instagram. Like promoting a new album release, McDonald’s marketing plan for the BTS Meal included tour dates, band concept pictures, and a McDonald’s x BTS item drop.

The best approach to attract the attention of BTS’s fans and keep them interested throughout the release was by reaching out to them with social media material that their target audience is already familiar with.

This is an excellent illustration of how McDonald’s developed a communication plan to reach the desired audience while keeping their target audience at the forefront of their minds. In addition, it is a fantastic reminder for other brands to adjust their strategies to the target market by considering their needs, wants, and communication preferences.

Enhance the value of current products

McDonald’s added value to already-existing components such as their mobile application, food packaging, and current menu options rather than developing a product that would solely appeal to BTS fans.

This particular meal is an experience for BTS fans. Additionally, it includes in-app material released over a month featuring BTS. In addition, McDonald’s created unique BTS packaging for the meal in the distinctive BTS purple rather than the standard packaging.

The two limited edition McDonald’s dips with the BTS meal made it appealing to non-fans. Who wouldn’t be interested in tasting the McDonald’s limited edition sauce?

McDonald’s added value to existing products to engage fans and promote menu items that everyone, including non-BTS fans, can appreciate. Brands may consider ways to innovate or add value to existing products to appeal to the campaign’s target audience and keep existing customers engaged instead of focusing on exclusivity and ignoring current customers.

User-Generated Content’s Strength

The collaboration between McDonald’s and BTS has demonstrated user-generated material’s influence on marketing, even though it may not have been a part of McDonald’s strategy.

Several BTS fans attempted to keep the meal packaging intact worldwide. Many people have tried selling cleaned meal packaging on internet marketplaces like Carousell, eBay, and Shoppee.

Around the world, many people have come up with inventive methods to transform BTS Meal packaging into valuable objects. For example, a Singaporean artist used the box, which even has a pocket for nuggets, to make unique BTS Meal footwear. On Tiktok and Instagram, many fans displayed the items they created from recycled BTS Meal packages, including earrings, keychains, necklaces, and resin coasters.

Most of these packaging reuse videos and images rapidly became viral on social media. For example, with 1.2 million likes, @taegisupv’s TikTok video of her BTS keychain has gone viral. These BTS fan-made videos promoted the meal and provided other fans with ideas for how to design their own BTS Meal packaging. The massive excitement around package repurposing and reselling was bound to eventually make non-BTS fans who were previously unaware of the cooperation aware of it.

Influencer marketing’s power

McDonald’s successfully leveraged the massive global fan base of BTS for the ad. Its success in creating buzz and attracting followers’ attention demonstrates influencer marketing’s potency.

The boyband’s “Famous Order,” or favored McDonald’s order in South Korea, is the BTS Meal. Because of this, the BTS Meal consisted of Chicken McNuggets rather than a brand-new, limited-edition BTS burger. McDonald’s conducted a promotion called “Famous Order” in the United States, promoting the fast-food restaurant’s most famous dish among celebrities.

The BTS lunch transformed a typical McDonald’s dinner into something that seemed authentic. It might have made fans feel closer to the band by letting them know and try their preferred ordering method. The realism of the marketing increased consumer attention and trust.

While working with an influencer like BTS to promote your product may be beyond the financial means of your firm, big businesses like McDonald’s can use influencer marketing to connect with their target audience through accurate recommendations.

Final Thoughts

The final question is whether the McDonald’s BTS meal UK is worth the hype or not. Of course, there cannot be a definite answer to this. On the one hand, BTS fans love this collaboration, while others judge it based on other factors. It is now for you to try it and decide the answer. However, one thing that needs applause is the marketing strategy of McDonald’s! They are taking influencer marketing to the next level, and the collaboration with BTS is excellent proof.