Seven Handsome 😍 Men Found At McDonald’s!
Who is better to become the next face of a global 🌎, viral campaign than the insanely popular and talented K-pop powerhouse?
Yes, BTS. The official McDonald’s Twitter announced on April 19, 2021 that the “BTS Meal'' will be the latest creation of McDonald’s Famous 🤩 Orders programme. McDonald’s has had past partnerships with famous artists, such as Travis Scott and J Balvin.
This one-of-a-kind meal will feature the seven members’ favourite orders, including classics like the 10 piece Chicken McNuggets, medium fries 🍟, and a medium drink, with two new dipping sauces inspired by McDonald’s South Korea recipes - Sweet Chilli 🌶 and Cajun. The “BTS Meal” will go on sale starting May 26 in the United States and will then become the first Famous Order in McDonald’s history to go on a global “tour”, spanning nearly 50 countries and six continents, and Malaysia 🇲🇾 is included in the list!
Who are BTS?
BTS are a K-pop (a.k.a. Korean pop) group made up of seven members - Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook - who come from all over South Korea 🇰🇷. They launched in 2013 and have since rocketed 🚀 to global stardom. Over the years, the group have produced material around various themes starting with the 'School' trilogy.
This was followed by the 'Most Beautiful Moment in Life', 'Wings', and most recently, the 'Love Yourself' series. Their album 'Love Yourself: Answer' stormed ⛈ to the top of the US charts, which saw South Korean President Moon Jae-in taking to Twitter to congratulate 👏 the boys on their success. BTS is the biggest K-pop group internationally, and it does not look like they are stopping any time soon.
A successful brand collaboration can be shockingly powerful - as powerful 💪 as influencer marketing. The idea behind it may seem basic and simple yet there are many factors which go into finding the right 👍 partners for your brand. The process is inexpensive and not intricate compared to creating a massive ad campaign. Here are 7 key considerations to keep in mind before diving into any brand collaboration initiative:
1️⃣ Know 😎 your values
Get clear and what your brand stands for - what do you believe in. Knowing your values will make it easier for your brand to align 📏 with the right partners. For example, Louis Vuitton and BMW announced a partnership where Louis Vuitton would create custom fibre luggage that would fit into BMW’s new i8. Both brands are known for luxury and craftsmanship, so the collaboration made sense.
2️⃣ Research 🧐 other brands
It does not necessarily mean that it is the right collaboration opportunity for your brand just because a brand looks great on social media 📱 or has mass appeal to their audience. Make sure you look for the type of audience your partner brand is attracting and if you share similar values with each other.
3️⃣ Set expectations early
Make sure that both sides in any brand collaboration are very clear 💎 about what the goals and expectations are. Set that early on in the game, and if it means drawing up contracts 📝, then this is where you want to outline what is expected from both sides. Do not change the expectations or goals in the middle of your campaign because it can ruin the momentum that both brands have made. It can even cause the other brand to stop working with you.
4️⃣ Keep it real
Authenticity 🌾 is not just a word people are throwing around. Statistics have shown that 80% of consumers say that authenticity of content will influence them to follow a brand. Thus, keep it real and create a strategy that organically connects 🖇 with your audience if your brand is looking to boost brand awareness and increase followers.
5️⃣ Use out of the box 📦 approach
Be courageous and willing to do things outside of the box! That is the fun 😝 part about collaborations. You get to work with other brands and end up creating something new.
6️⃣ Know when to say no ❌
Know when to say no if you are clear on what your brand can bring to the table in terms of values and assets. Sometimes brand collaborations can drain 🚰 your brand rather than revitalise it.
7️⃣ There is no rule book 📖
There is really no set rule book splaying out the steps 🪜 for you when it comes to brand collaboration. Hence, dare to be creative 💡 and know that it can be a great experience giving your brand the extra boost it needs.
Are you excited for the McDonald’s new collaboration with BTS? Let us know in the comments below 👇👇👇😎.
References:
AMA New York
CBBC Newsround
June, P. 2021, April 23. What The Hell Happened: BTS and McDonald’s Collaborate on the ‘BTS Meal’. The Harvard Crimson.
