Following the addition of J Balvin’s signature meal to its menu, McDonald’s has released a 58-piece limited-edition merch collection with the reggaeton artist that includes an Oreo McFlurry-inspired bucket hat, fries-themed outdoor camping chair and order receipt tattoo sticker, among other items inspired by J Balvin’s favorite McDonald’s menu items.
The J Balvin and McDonald’s line of apparel and accessories features a splash of neon colors reminiscent of the ‘80s and includes a pink and yellow fries bed sheet, hamburger lounge slippers, logo snapbacks, tees, sweatshirts, sunglasses, a watch and more. Prices range from $4 to $180.
The J Balvin Meal is available for purchase in restaurants for carry-out, at drive-thru, via McDelivery or through the McDonald’s app, from October 5 to November 1. Those who order via the app receive a free Oreo McFlurry.
McDonald’s foray into direct-to-consumer (DTC) fashion began in December last year when it launched its first-ever online popup shop giving US fans year-round access to exclusive items.
More recently, McDonald’s has reimagined its role in popular culture by doing multi-tier collaborations with popular music artists. On September 8, McDonald’s rolled out rapper Travis Scott’s go-to order, the Cactus Jack meal, available for $6 only on the McDonald’s app. In addition, the partnership saw the launch of a capsule merch collection and a national commercial. The apparel sold out in days.
Phase two of McDonald’s activation with Scott, which the brand rolled out three weeks later, included a Twitter sweepstakes to win one of five handmade Travis Scott action figures. To enter, fans were required to quote tweet this post with the caption, “Cactus Jack sent me to @McDonalds #CactusJackSweepstakes.” The post saw 48,7000 quote tweets, nearly 8,000 retweets and 33,600 likes.
McDonald’s may have boosted its sales and drove up its stock price with the celebrity-powered signature meals, but a Vice report reveals the fast-food giant’s potential motive for putting a celebrity on its menu for the first since 1992: to cover up racial discrimination lawsuits filed by a pair of black former McDonald’s executives and 52 franchise owners.
The first lawsuit claims that the number of black employees in leadership roles at McDonald’s declined from 42 in 2014 to just seven by last year. The latter suit claims that McDonald’s subjected the franchise owners to “systematic and covert racial discrimination” over the span of decades.
In July, McDonald’s launched a $500,000 scholarship fund to help students attending historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). More recently, in October McDonald’s announced its new partnership with Essence Girls United, Thurgood Marshall College Fund and iHeart Media to provide the black community with mentorship opportunities, seed capital for entrepreneurs and college scholarships.
