Chris Kempczinski did not set out to become the internet’s favorite fast food punchline. The McDonald’s CEO posted what was meant to be a straightforward promotional video for the chain’s new Big Arch burger in early February, took one notably restrained bite, called the burger a product several times, and handed the internet everything it needed.
The clip spread quickly and not in the direction McDonald’s intended. Kempczinski found out just how far it had traveled when one of his children called to deliver the news that their father had gone viral, and not in a good way. By the time friends, colleagues, and strangers started reaching out to ask whether he had seen the video, he had seen it approximately a thousand times.
What made the original video land so badly
The criticism arrived from multiple angles simultaneously. Viewers fixated on the size of the initial bite, with many suggesting it looked less like someone eating lunch and more like someone completing a mandatory task. The repeated use of the word ‘product’ rather than anything warmer drew its own wave of commentary. An unboxing-style reveal that was meant to showcase the burger’s size read, to many viewers, as something closer to reluctant compliance.
Burger King was among the first to pile on, sharing a video of its own president conducting a taste test with the caption implying that McDonald’s CEO could not finish his burger either. Wendy’s US president Pete Suerken followed, posting his own video eating a Baconator while making pointed references to McDonald’s notoriously unreliable ice cream machines. The competitive trolling turned an awkward promotional clip into a sustained news cycle.
Kempczinski’s response was remarkably composed
Speaking with the Wall Street Journal, Kempczinski addressed the backlash with a directness that surprised some observers. He attributed his cautious eating style to his mother, who raised him not to speak with his mouth full, and suggested that in retrospect he probably should have abandoned that particular etiquette lesson for the camera.
He expressed no apparent regret about the video’s existence, arguing that the attention it generated, however mocking in tone, had at least accomplished the original goal of getting people talking about the McDonald’s Big Arch. His broader take on the situation reflected a pragmatic view of how brand communication works in the current media environment: the idea that a company can fully control how its message lands is, in his framing, an outdated assumption. Consumers and creators now shape brand perception as much as the brands themselves do, and attempting to suppress or manage that reality is less productive than simply accepting it and developing a tolerance for discomfort.
The McNugget video made things worse
In what appeared to be an attempt at damage control, Kempczinski joined Wall Street Journal columnist Tim Higgins for an on-camera conversation that included a second taste test, this time involving a McDonald’s chicken nugget. He said he was looking forward to taking a good bite. The clip reached more than 500,000 views on TikTok by April 9, and the reaction was, if anything, less forgiving than the first time around.
Viewers on Instagram and TikTok described the McNugget moment as more uncomfortable to watch than the Big Arch video. Comments ranged from expressions of secondhand embarrassment to requests that Kempczinski be permanently kept off camera. The consensus across platforms was that the follow-up had not improved the situation.
What it says about executive visibility in 2026
McDonald’s CEO’s willingness to continue appearing on camera after the initial backlash reflects either genuine confidence or a calculated understanding that in the current media environment, retreat often generates more coverage than persistence. His stated philosophy, that social media requires a thick skin and that brand control is largely illusory, is consistent with how the situation has played out.
The Big Arch is still coming to the United States. The burger has performed well in markets including the United Kingdom, and McDonald’s has not indicated any change in its rollout plans. Whether Kempczinski will be the one introducing it on camera when it arrives domestically is a question the internet is probably already forming an opinion about.