McDonald’s issues 'McNFT' to commemorate McRib’s return

As the McRib comes out of hiding this week, McDonald’s is marking the occasion by joining the NFT craze. The world's largest restaurant chain will issue a limited number of non-fungible tokens it says will allow fans to capture the elusive sandwich year-round. McDonald’s is issuing the NFTs though an online sweepstakes promotion that begins today and runs through Nov. 7. Ten fans who retweet the invitation on their public Twitter accounts during this period will be selected to receive the McRib NFT by Nov. 12. The event marks the first time McDonald’s in the U.S. has participated in NFT marketing, as it joins dozens of companies exploring the possibilities of capitalizing on their intellectual property by producing authenticated digital versions of it. (Previously, the brand in Europe was one of the earliest to get in on NFTs in a campaign out of DDB Paris.) The McRib NFT resembles a trading card with a picture of the famous sandwich surrounded by a glowing frame. The McRib—a boneless pork sandwich slathered in tangy barbecue sauce and served on a roll with tart pickles and grilled onions, dates back to 1981, when it was tested in a limited number of restaurants in the Kansas City area. It’s since become a reliable driver of seasonal traffic for the chain, often reissued with an accompanying marketing angle including various “farewell tours” and movie tie-ins. It rejoins menu boards at the 14,000 U.S, locations this week. The internet boom and emergence of social media further solidified the McRib’s iconic status, making it a particularly attractive candidate for an NFT. Love of the saucy sandwich has connected fans online, and tools like the “McRib Locator” have allowed even more people to join the “McRib Season” frenzy. “In the 80s, the masterminds behind McDonald’s food innovation had a truly unique idea: an undeniably delicious sandwich that could be enjoyed during the colder seasons,” Mike Bullington, senior archives manager at McDonald’s, said in a release. “Whether you’re a McRib loyalist or first-timer, there is no denying that the McRib is one of the most iconic sandwiches of the last four decades and we have thousands of emails and tweets from fans to prove it.” NFTs, which are authenticated using the same blockchain technology that enables cryptocurrency, can themselves become a form of currency, presenting an opportunity for McDonald’s to share in whatever collectible market may develop from their creation. Taco Bell, for example, is offering versions of its stylish digital art for sale on the online marketplace Rarible. Other rivals in the fast-food industry are quickly preparing their own campaigns around crypto marketing. Burger King, for example, this week is teaming with Robinhood Crypto, offering members of its BK Royal Perks loyalty club a side of cryptocurrency with every $5 purchase on the BK app, website or at participating restaurants. Burger King announced that the primary prize would be Dogecoin but “a few lucky members could receive a full Ethereum or Bitcoin.” The chain is promoting the effort through a series of videos explaining the crypto market in terms of its food. Trading crypto is like trading an onion ring for a handful of fries, “if onion rings and fries were decentralized digital money based on blockchain technology,” says one of the videos created by 360i, which won BK's social media business in October.

McDonald’s issues 'McNFT' to commemorate McRib’s return

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