Business leaders are increasingly getting in front of the camera in order to be more relatable to a social media-first audience. If it goes well, it could be a big hit. Otherwise, you risk becoming the subject of online ridicule.
In the recent case of Chris Kempczinski, CEO and president of McDonald’s, it’s the latter.
A video of the head of an iconic fast food chain sampling a new menu item has gone viral, with social media and online comedians mocking his awkward taste test and citing it as proof that he wasn’t enjoying his company’s burger experience.
in clipAlthough the article was posted in February, it went viral over the weekend. Kempczinski talks about how much he loves the new Big Arch Burger. He calls it a “commodity.” This is an unusual name for a sandwich.
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Kempczinski then explained the new menu, which consists of two quarter-pound beef patties, three slices of melted white cheddar cheese, crispy onions, and a signature tangy “Big Arch” sauce.
“We’re going to do a tasting now, and just to be clear, we’re going to have this for lunch,” Kempczinski tells the audience. Then he looked sheepishly around the burger and said, “I don’t even know how to attack it. There’s just too much content.”
Finally, he took a few bites of his burger and proceeded to show the camera the indentations he had made.
Commenters on the video were quick to criticize the video’s clearly forced nature. One person wrote, “The man’s aura screams kale salad.”
Another said: “That was the tiniest first bite I’ve ever seen.”
A third commenter mocked Kempczinski’s use of corporate language in the video, saying, “Calling food a ‘product’ is scary.”
a reddit Users offered the following advice: “If McDonald’s is worried about its future, it needs to make sure that: [Kempczinski is] Anywhere but in front of the camera. ”
McDonald’s Big Arch Burger will be available nationwide for a limited time starting March 3rd.
Kempczinski has been McDonald’s president and CEO since 2019, replacing Steve Easterbrook, who was fired for having an affair with a senior female employee. In 2023, Mr Easterbrook, a British national, was fined $400,000 (£328,000) by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for “concealing the extent of his fraud”.
McDonald’s did not respond to the Guardian’s request for comment.