Dive Brief:
- McDonald's launched a new line of merchandise called the Quarter Pounder Fan Club which is available on its e-commerce site, GoldenArchesUnlimited.com, the company revealed in a press release.
- Quarter Pounder-themed products, including a calendar, T-shirts, mittens, bumper stickers, scented candles and jewelry, will be released incrementally in limited quantities, with McDonald's revealing the products as they become available via its Instagram page. One of the first items, a Quarter Pounder with Love heart-shaped locket, was sold out at press time.
- On Feb. 26, McDonald's will unveil a bronze statue of the Quarter Pounder in an as-of-yet unnamed city.
Dive Insight:
The Quarter Pounder Fan Club appears to be simply a merchandise line rather than an actual club requiring membership. Still, given that the Quarter Pounder is a popular McDonald's menu item, it is a reasonable product to base a line of limited-edition merchandise on at a time when the chain — as well as other consumer brands — is looking at beefing up its e-commerce strategy to deepen relationships with core customers.
McDonald’s launched its first-ever year round e-commerce site during the holidays, selling Christmas ornaments, beanies and branded holiday sweaters. The Quarter Pounder Fan Club is the first post-holiday push that the company has undertaken.
The Quarter Pounder scented candles, in particular, suggest that the company is looking to expand the types of branded gear it will sell, beyond the expected T-shirts and hats. Non-traditional scented candles were a big trend around the holidays, with Dunkin', KFC and Chili's all releasing candles that smelled like signature menu items and were promoted as holiday gifts.
The Instagram roll-out is a savvy move for the release strategy, following an approach adopted by niche marketers to drum up excitement around limited-edition sneakers, new albums and other highly coveted items. McDonald's will could increase the number of its Instagram followers by enticing fans to keep up on new product releases. McDonald's is extending the push offline with plans to unveil a Quarter Pounder bronze statue in one city, an strategy that could further drive the social media component of the campaign if fans snap and share photos of the statue.
