Excerpt: From awkward executive videos to unexpected internet trends, McDonald’s has repeatedly turned unplanned moments into viral marketing success.
In the age of social media, not every viral marketing win comes from a carefully crafted campaign. Sometimes the biggest publicity comes from moments that brands never expected to go viral in the first place. McDonald’s is one company that has repeatedly benefited from this phenomenon.
From the recent Big Arch burger video featuring CEO Chris Kempczinski to earlier social media crazes, the fast food giant has shown how accidental internet moments can quickly transform into millions of dollars worth of brand exposure.
McDonald’s viral marketing strategy thrives on internet culture
The latest example emerged in 2026 when a promotional clip showed McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski tasting the new Big Arch burger. In the video, he took a small and cautious bite while describing the burger in corporate terms.
What seemed like a routine promotional moment quickly became a meme. Social media users across TikTok, Instagram, and X began sharing the clip with humorous commentary. Many joked about the careful bite, while others poked fun at the CEO calling the burger a “product.”
The clip spread rapidly across platforms, generating millions of views in just a few days. Instead of fading away as an awkward marketing moment, it sparked a massive online conversation that kept the brand trending.
Marketing analysts later pointed out that the viral attention likely generated marketing exposure worth millions without any additional advertising spend.
Grimace birthday trend proved the power of unexpected virality
This is not the first time McDonald’s has experienced viral success from an unexpected source. In 2023, the company introduced a limited edition purple milkshake to celebrate the birthday of its mascot Grimace.
What began as a nostalgic promotional campaign quickly turned into a bizarre TikTok trend. Creators began posting videos where they drank the shake and then cut to chaotic or surreal scenes involving the purple character.
The trend spread across the platform almost overnight. Millions of users participated, and the purple milkshake dominated social media feeds for weeks.
While the trend itself was unusual and sometimes chaotic, the brand gained enormous online visibility. Grimace, a character that had been relatively quiet in marketing for years, suddenly became one of the most recognizable internet memes of that year.
Why accidental moments outperform traditional marketing
Marketing experts say these viral moments succeed because they feel authentic. Traditional advertisements are often polished and predictable, which can make them easier for audiences to ignore.
Unexpected content, on the other hand, feels more like a genuine internet moment rather than a corporate campaign. When people discover something funny or awkward online, they are far more likely to share it with friends.
In the case of McDonald’s CEO tasting the Big Arch burger, the humor came from the contrast between a corporate executive and the simple act of eating a burger. That relatable awkwardness made the clip perfect for memes.
Once internet users began remixing the moment with jokes and reaction videos, the content spread far beyond its original audience.
McDonald’s viral marketing strategy benefits from social sharing
Another reason these moments become powerful marketing tools is the way social media algorithms work. Platforms tend to amplify content that generates engagement such as comments, shares, and reactions.
When a video sparks humor or debate, people interact with it more. That engagement pushes the content to more users, creating a snowball effect that dramatically increases visibility.
For McDonald’s, this means that a single viral moment can dominate online conversations across multiple platforms. Even people who never intended to follow fast food news suddenly become aware of the brand and its latest products.
The future of viral marketing for global brands
The repeated success of these accidental viral moments highlights an important shift in modern marketing. Brands no longer control every aspect of how their campaigns unfold online.
Instead, audiences play a major role in shaping how content spreads and evolves. Memes, parody videos, and user reactions can sometimes create far more attention than the original promotional message.
For companies like McDonald’s, this unpredictable environment can actually work in their favor. When a moment resonates with internet culture, the resulting publicity can be far greater than what traditional advertising campaigns achieve.
The Big Arch burger video is simply the latest example of how an unplanned moment can turn into a global marketing story. And if recent history is any indication, it will likely not be the last time an unexpected McDonald’s moment takes over the internet.