McDonald’s franchisees push back on partnership with rappers

A number of McDonald’s restaurant owners told the corporate company that they were concerned that a partnership with Cardi B and Offset would hurt their family-friendly image, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. McDonald’s partners with celebrities to boost its sales. The promotions involve selections of food that the restaurant already makes, served in promotional packaging. In a statement to the Wall Street Journal, McDonald’s defended the promotion, saying the company is always thinking about what it posts in its channels and “careful to avoid language that might offend.”

Has this happened with other artists? In recent years, McDonald’s has partnered with many artists including Travis Scott, Saweetie, J Balvin, and BTS. About 65 percent of U.S. franchisees said they did not support the company’s 2020 partnership with Scott, the Wall Street Journal reported. Scott was the first celebrity to have a signature McDonald’s meal since Michael Jordan in 1992. 

Dig deeper: Listen to Nick Eicher and John Stonestreet’s conversation on The World and Everything in It podcast about companies distancing themselves from controversial figures—but not mainstream celebrities.