After nearly two years of trying to beat chicken with burgers, the fast food giant has entered the chicken sandwich.
This week, McDonald’s becomes the latest American restaurant chain to leapfrog the chicken sandwich craze that was lit by Popeyes two years ago and launched its version with original, spicy and luxurious variations on February 24th.
Popeyes has been in the war for fast-food dominance for a long time, continuing the appeal of his Louisiana-inspired offerings and a menu that revolved primarily around chicken and shrimp. But that all changed in 2019 when it debuted its chicken sandwich in a historic event in the annals of the fast food. The sandwich, outwardly inconspicuous, has become a must-have treat, driven by hype and scarcity just as much as taste.
The sandwich produced too many thoughts, detained a cashier with a gun, and disrupted Popeyes’ supply chain for months. It also broke the internet (and part of the US national highway system) and increased the inventory of its parent company, Restaurant Brands International.
While Wendy’s, Burger King, KFC and others are catching up fast, McDonald’s has delivered a chicken sandwich – until now.
“We’ve heard our customers loud and clear, and we know they want more chicken options,” McDonald’s CEO Linda VanGosen said in a statement. “We are confident that all chicken lovers – from traditionalists to spice enthusiasts – will discover a new menu favorite where they will return time and time again.”
Although delicious and filling, chicken sandwiches are hardly new in fast food chains. Popeyes created a frenzy by first drumming up and then leaning into the fervor that caused his sandwich on the internet, and excitement for his product and traffic to his website and standalone app with every excited opinion piece or joyful social media review cause. Along the way, it has shown that internet buzz can turn a second-tier brand into a category leader.
Even if McDonald’s new sandwich turns up clogged roads near a breakfast shop or business complex near you in the coming weeks, Popeye’s may have won the early advertising contest by hijacking McDonald’s online promotion.
To arouse excitement for the new offering, McDonald’s rolled out limited edition products with chicken themes, such as hoodies and a 7-inch vinyl record. McDonald’s has redirected users to the newly announced CHKNDrop.com, but fails to be on the lookout for the wrong spellers of the world. Popeyes highlighted the opportunity and offered 500 free sandwiches for the first users to type in one of dozens of URLs like chikindrop.com.
‘If you’re a chronic spelling mistake, you have some guarantee that you’ll not get a 404 message if you misspell them. [website] when you try to type your search bar, ”reads a statement from Popeye’s. “You might just find a free Popeyes Chicken Sandwich.” The 500 free sandwiches were quickly snatched up by eager fast food.
The sheer number of spots in McDonald’s and the recognition of the name will probably make this chicken war an unfair battle in terms of raw sales, but McDonald’s will have to do more than rest on its bows to defeat Popeyes on its own.