After nearly two years of trying to beat chicken with hamburgers, the fast food giant joined the chicken sandwich fight.
This week, McDonald’s becomes the last restaurant chain in the United States to join the wave of the chicken sandwich sparked by Popeyes two years ago, launching its version, with original, spicy and luxury variations, on February 24.
Popeyes had long been a competitor in the war for fast food supremacy, relying on the appeal of his Louisiana-inspired offerings and a menu largely centered on chicken and shrimp. But everything changed in 2019, when his chicken sandwich debuted in what has become a historic event in the annals of fast food. The sandwich, apparently normal, has become a mandatory treat, driven by exaggeration and scarcity as much as by flavor.
The sandwich spawned many thinkers, trapped a cashier at gunpoint and interrupted Popeyes’ supply chain for months. It also broke the Internet (and pieces of the US national road system) and increased the shares of its parent company, Restaurant Brands International.
While Wendy’s, Burger King, KFC and others rushed to catch up, McDonald’s has postponed the chicken sandwich makeover – until now.
“We listen to our customers loud and clear and know that they want more chicken options,” said McDonald’s executive Linda VanGosen in a statement. “We are confident that all chicken fans – from traditionalists to seasoning enthusiasts – will discover a new favorite menu to which they will always return.”
Although delicious and hearty, chicken sandwiches are nothing new in fast food chains. Popeyes created a frenzy by first chatting and then leaning towards the fervor that his sandwich caused on the internet, generating enthusiasm for his product and traffic to his website and standalone application with each exasperated opinion article or cheerful social media criticism . Along the way, he showed that Internet buzz can turn a second-tier brand into a category leader.
Even if McDonald’s new sandwich ends up blocking roads near a mall or shopping complex near you in the coming weeks, Popeye’s may have already won the initial publicity contest by hijacking McDonald’s online promotion.
To create excitement for its new offerings, McDonald’s launched a limited edition of chicken-themed products, such as sweatshirts and a 7-inch vinyl record. McDonald’s directed users to the recently announced CHKNDrop.com, but neglected the world’s spelling mistakes. Popeyes took the opportunity, offering 500 free sandwiches for the first users to enter one of dozens of almost lost URLs, like chikindrop.com
“If you are a chronic spelling mistake, do you have any guarantee that you will not receive a 404 not found message if you type it incorrectly [website] when trying to type in your search bar, ”said a statement from Popeye. “You can just find a free Chicken Popeyes sandwich.” The 500 free sandwiches were quickly purchased by eager fast foodies.
The large number of McDonald’s locations and the recognition of its name are likely to make this chicken war an unfair fight in terms of raw sales, but McDonald’s will have to do more than rest on its bows to defeat Popeyes at its own game.