McDonald’s in China: From Fast Food to a Cultural Phenomenon
It’s been a transformative year for McDonald’s in China. Once labeled as unhealthy fast food, the brand has now been elevated to a quasi-religious status among the youth, a phenomenon I like to call the “Burger Religion”. This change is largely due to a series of humorous and catchy memes created by young, ardent fans of McDonald’s, marking a unique form of brand worship.
The Rise of ‘McDonald’s Memes’
The viral memes included “A person who loves McDonald’s can’t be all bad”, “Long live Maimen”, “May the fries protect every hardworking soul, Maimen!” and “The Church of McDonald’s shines its light on all its believers”. “Maimen”(麦门), the Chinese homonym for “Amen” in McDonald’s) quickly became the most popular online meme. Such catchphrases have become a testament to the passion and loyalty young people have for the brand.
Additionally, the trend quickly expanded beyond words, giving rise to a plethora of humorous emojis, short videos, and an array of brand merchandise. Youngsters flocked to join this “Maimen” movement, finding a sense of belonging and identity within this community. This wave reflects a new form of communication between brands and consumers, where McDonald’s has successfully extended its fast-food culture into a unique branding language, turning itself into a cultural icon among modern youth.
McDonald’s official response to this phenomenon is very quick and timely. By analyzing social media chatter, they swiftly engaged with these fan-led activities, demonstrating a keen understanding of the digital landscape and fostering positive interactions between the brand and its consumers.
Echoes of the Trend in North America
This trend found its counterpart in North America with the viral #GrimaceShake meme in June. Grimace, one of McDonald’s classic mascots and a nostalgic figure for many American millennials, was celebrated on its 52nd birthday with a special Grimace Meal, featuring a unique purple berry-flavored shake. The unusual colour of the shake, combined with Grimace’s backstory of being a creature that steals shakes, sparked creative memes among netizens. These memes humorously suggested that drinking the peculiar Grimace Shake could lead to unexpected consequences, a concept that exploded in popularity on TikTok.
Rather than reacting seriously to this mixed reception, McDonald’s chose to embrace the humor. Their CMO released a comical video of being “assassinated” after drinking the Grimace Shake. Following that, the official social media posted in Grimace’s persona, pretending to be oblivious to the shake memes.
This “if you can’t beat them, join them” attitude has successfully ingratiated McDonald’s with Generation Z. The brand’s interaction trends on Instagram and TikTok show that without spending extra, McDonald’s significantly boosted its brand presence.
Whether it’s a specific product in the North American market or overall brand marketing in China, McDonald’s is committed to transforming the “brand-consumer” relationship into a “brand-fan” relationship. By harnessing the creative inspiration of fans and turning them into content partners. In this new model, the brand acts as a curator of fan creativity, while fans become collaborators in inspiring brand innovation, turning marketing into a mutual journey between brand and fans.