Additional Coverage:
- McDonald’s ad featuring its CEO backfires spectacularly as rivals waste no time roasting it (marketrealist.com)
McDonald’s CEO’s “Big Bite” Ad Leaves Viewers and Rivals Baffled
A recent promotional video from fast-food giant McDonald’s, intended for its Netherlands division, has gone viral for all the wrong reasons. The 45-second ad, featuring McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski touting a new burger, has drawn widespread mockery, particularly for the CEO’s notably small “big bite.”
In the ad, Kempczinski enthusiastically praises the new burger, highlighting its sesame seed bun and special sauce. “I love this product.
It is so good,” he declares, before adding, “Oh, there’s so much going on with this. I don’t even know how to attack it, it’s got so much to it!”
Despite the burger’s apparent size, the CEO then proceeds to take an almost comically tiny bite. He then proclaims, “Big bite for a Big Arch,” a statement that left many viewers scratching their heads.
The peculiar bite quickly became the subject of online amusement, with competitors jumping into the fray. Burger King UK quipped, “We couldn’t finish it either,” while Subway Singapore offered, “We have something fresher you can bite into.” Wendy’s official handle commented, “Lots to unpack here,” and Wingstop Canada’s Instagram account humorously asked, “Is the big bite in the room with us?”
Beyond the “big bite” controversy, the ad itself faced criticism for its visual execution. Viewers described it as featuring “grotesque characters,” “horrible color grading,” and “hackneyed AI approximations of basic physics.” The rapid scene changes were also cited as overwhelming and difficult to process.
The ad was created by the agency TBWA\Neboko, with the in-house AI engine “The Gardening Club” from Sweetshop playing a role in its production. The CEO of Sweetshop defended the work, stating, “I don’t see this spot as a novelty or a cute seasonal experiment.
To me, it’s evidence of something much bigger: that when craft and technology meet with intention, they can create work that feels genuinely cinematic. So no – AI didn’t make this film.
We did.”
Despite the creative team’s intentions, the ad’s reception suggests that sometimes, even with advanced technology and craft, a small bite can leave a very big impression – just not the one McDonald’s was hoping for.