Business leaders are increasingly placing themselves in front of the camera, in an effort to appear more relatable to a social media-first audience. When it goes well, it can be a huge hit. When it doesn’t, you risk becoming the subject of online ridicule.
In the recent case of Chris Kempczinski, the McDonald’s CEO and president, it’s the latter.
A video of the head of the iconic fast food chain trying a new menu item has gone viral, with social media and online comedians mocking his awkward taste test and citing it as evidence that he did not enjoy the experience of his own firm’s burger.
In the clip, which was posted in February but went viral over the weekend, Kempczinski talks about how much he loves the new Big Arch burger, which he calls the “product” – an unusual moniker for a sandwich.
Kempczinski then goes on to describe the new menu offering, which consists of two quarter-pound beef patties, three slices of melted white cheddar cheese, crispy onions and a signature “Big Arch” tangy sauce.
“I’m going to do a tasting right now, but I’m going to eat this for my lunch, just so you know,” Kempczinski tells the audience. He then sheepishly looks around the burger, saying: “I don’t even know how to attack it, there’s so much to it.”
Finally, he takes a small bite of the burger, and proceeds to show the camera the small indentation he made.
Commenters on the video were quick to call out the apparently forced nature of the video. One wrote, “Man’s aura screams kale salad.”
Another said, “That was the smallest first bite I’ve ever seen.”
A third commenter mocked Kempczinski’s usage of corporate lingo in the video: “It scares me when you call the food ‘product.’”
A Reddit user offered some advice: “If McDonald’s cares about its future, they need to make sure [Kempczinski is] anywhere but in front of a camera.”
The McDonald’s Big Arch burger will launch nationwide in the US for a limited time, beginning on 3 March.
Kempczinski has served as president and CEO of McDonald’s since 2019, succeeding Steve Easterbrook, who was fired after engaging in a relationship with a senior female employee. In 2023, Easterbrook, who is British, was fined $400,000 (£328,000) by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for “concealing the extent of his misconduct”.
McDonald’s did not reply to the Guardian’s request for comment.
