Major corporations in recent years have been adopting a sort of faux-edgy marketing strategy in which they attempt to embrace the disaffected malaise of Millennials and GenZ: Think Wendy's gently sneering Twitter account, for instance, or SparkNotes, which on its own social media "turns famous books, novelists and plot points into modern-day memes."
The joke is supposed to be that you're not expecting this sort of laid-back whimsy from a major corporation. McDonald's, meanwhile, has embraced that philosophy all the way unto its own menu:
McDonald's fans have long been creating menu hacks like using hash browns as a bun. Now the chain is putting some of them on the menu.
Beginning January 31 and for a limited time, McDonald's will sell four menu hacks popularized by its biggest fans. It's the first-time ever that McDonald's has sold "hacks" by name, which have become prominent on social media platforms, such as TikTok.
They can be ordered via the new "Menu Hacks" section on the McDonald's app or in-person by saying the name.
I got some bad news for the bigwigs at McDonald's: If the multinational corporation is officially offering a menu item through a licensed smartphone app, it's not a "hack" anymore, it's just another thing on your menu.
A standout among the "hacks" is the "Land, Air & Sea" sandwich:
[T]his menu hack covers all bases and all cravings. That means you get to combine two 100% pure beef patties, a juicy chicken patty and fish sourced from sustainably managed fisheries. Now top it off with pickles, crisp shredded lettuce, finely chopped onion, creamy mayonnaise, McDonald's tartar sauce and American cheese for more than a handful of delicious.
Yeah that'll run you about 1,300 calories, which is more than half the daily recommended intake for a U.S. male in one sitting.
But wait, there's a catch:
Self-assembly will be required for each hack because McDonald's will sell the ingredients separately.
Um, what?! I have to shell out probably 13 bucks and still build the sandwich myself?
Yeah okay here's what I think of a "menu hack" that I gotta slap together while speeding down the freeway:
