Hello Ping fam 👋
Sometimes the biggest marketing moments aren’t campaigns at all - they’re accidents.
A few days ago, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski posted a simple video tasting the company’s new Big Arch burger. The goal was straightforward: promote the launch of a new menu item. But the internet had other plans.
What followed was a wave of memes, parody videos and competitor responses - turning a single taste-test clip into a full-blown fast-food marketing moment.
The Bite That Started It
The video showed Kempczinski describing the new Big Arch burger and taking a bite on camera. But viewers quickly picked up on something odd. His tone sounded corporate. He referred to the burger as a “product.” The bite itself was small and hesitant. It didn’t take long for the internet to react. Social media users mocked the clip, with some joking that the CEO looked like someone who would “eat a salad instead.”
What was meant to be a promotional moment suddenly turned into meme material.
Burger King Smells Opportunity
Where the internet goes, rival brands follow.
Soon after the McDonald’s video went viral, Burger King’s president Tom Curtis posted his own taste-test video - this time taking a big, confident bite of a Whopper. The message was subtle but clear: this is how you eat a burger. The response video quickly circulated online, with viewers comparing the two clips side by side.
The Internet Joins The Burger Wars
The moment didn’t stop with Burger King.
Other brands and creators jumped into the trend, posting their own burger taste tests and commentary. What began as a single CEO video turned into what some commentators called a “battle of the bites.”
In marketing terms, it was a classic chain reaction: one piece of content → internet reaction → competitor participation → massive visibility.
The Real Marketing Lesson
Ironically, the viral moment may have helped McDonald’s more than hurt it. The Big Arch burger suddenly became the center of a cross-brand conversation online. Competitors, creators and consumers were all talking about the same product launch. In other words, the move achieved what most brands spend millions trying to do: own the conversation.
Ping’s POV
Marketing teams often obsess over crafting the perfect launch. But the internet rarely cares about perfection. Sometimes the most powerful marketing moment happens when the internet takes over the narrative - memes, reactions, and rival brands included.
McDonald’s may not have planned this burger war. But once the conversation started, the entire industry joined in. And in today’s internet economy, attention is the real currency - even if it starts with a slightly awkward bite.
Thanks for reading Ping! Stick around — we’ll be pinging your inbox every Monday, Wednesday & Friday with fresh marketing stories, sharp insights, and fun takes from the world of brands.