McDonald’s CEO Breaks Silence With Response to Viral Backlash
A recent McDonald's promotional video did not have its intended effect.
What was supposed to be a simple launch video for the Big Arch burger turned into a viral controversy as millions of viewers criticized the clip featuring McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski.
The clip, which immediately went viral on social media, showed Kempczinski sampling the Big Arch burger. Many viewers said he looked uncomfortable eating the sandwich, noting his small bite. Others criticized the way he referred to the burger as a "product" on multiple occasions.
The video sparked a flood of online criticism and teasing from viewers and other prominent brands.
Kempczinski recently sat down with the Wall Street Journal to address the backlash against this viral clip.
"I got a call from one of my kids and they said, "Dad, you've gone viral and not in a good way. So that's when I knew like, 'OK, something's going on,'" the CEO explained.
After his burger taste test went viral, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski spoke with WSJ about the backlash.
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) April 6, 2026
Here's how Kempczinski approaches social media and why he’s willing to eat on camera again: ???? https://t.co/SpFWr8GlvC pic.twitter.com/giZ2ApABq7
Kempczinski responded to the backlash with an "all press is good press" mindset.
"For me, it's one of those things where it's great that people are talking about the Big Arch," he said. "I think when you go onto social media in general, you have to have a thick skin."
Kempczinski also noted that the modern consumer is now more "skeptical" and "cynical" about brand advertising.
"We're in a world now where this creator economy and how consumers are engaging with brands, it's a lot more dynamic," he said. "This notion that you can control everything, that's not the world that we're in. I think there's a cynicism and a skepticism that goes around advertising.
"The consumers are actually just as much in control of our brand as we are."