McDonald’s, the multinational fast food chain, released its most recent celebrity collaboration marketing endeavor last month with the “Cardi B & Offset Meal”. The promotional Valentine’s Day meal consists of a cheeseburger, a quarter pounder with cheese, large fries, two large drinks, an apple pie and a side of barbeque sauce. 

The company has collaborated with celebrities to help drive digital business and company earnings. Past stars have included BTS, Saweetie, Travis Scott and J Balvin. 

“We’re focused on putting McDonald’s at the center of culture,” said Tariq Hassan, McDonald’s chief marketing executive, according to TMZ. 

According to McDonald’s executives, the company wants to continue collaborating with celebrities to build its consumer base and popularity with the youth and young adults. 

The latest collaboration with Cardi B and Offset has stirred up controversy with the issues of the couple’s image reflecting poorly on McDonald’s family-friendly values and they have been accused of breaking their Golden Arches code because of their lyrics and lifestyle. 

“The company’s Golden Arches Code for marketing states that promotions and branding shouldn’t include ‘musical partnerships associated with content that includes offensive language in the lyrics’,” said the Wall Street Journal in a recent article.

Ethics and company policies aside, “The Colonnade” editorial board decided to taste-test the meal to see for themselves if it was worth the hype. Head News Editor Rebecca Meghani and Assistant Arts & Life Editor William Van de Planque accepted and underwent the mission last Monday. Their professional food reviews are as follows.

Rebecca Meghani:

While the collaboration has created a buzz among the youth and young adults, it is not a special meal by any means. With their drinks being Coca-Cola and Hi-C Orange Lavaburst, respectively, the meal consists of food that already exists on the menu of Cardi B’s and Offset’s regular orders. It feels lazy and uninspired. If collaborating with a huge and well-known company, I would want to create something special for the consumers, especially knowing that my fanbase would flock to the fast food restaurant.

Going into the meal, the only excitement I had was being prepared to bash on this meal because of the lack of uniqueness that it had. Also, I hate barbeque sauce. It has the raunchiest smell I have ever smelled and no one sane enjoys it. That being said, I am a recent convert as the McDonald’s french fries dipped in their barbecue sauce was a religious experience for me and changed the trajectory of my life. 

Their french fries are never failing, as long as you eat them within the five minutes you got them in. Otherwise, the crispiness and crunch of the fry can never be revived and the experience is not the same. Their fries top the charts as number one in comparison to the rest of fast food fries and I really believe any other argument is obsolete. 

We each had our own individual burgers with me having their quarter pounder. As usual, nothing special. I really think you could place any fast food burger in my hand and I would not be able to tell the difference. It was simple and enjoyable but it is not a personal choice I would ever choose to order myself. Dip it in some barbecue sauce and maybe we’ll have a different story. 

Now, the apple pie. I have never ordered it before because I do not trust a $1.50 apple pie. Again, I did not expect to be proven wrong by a fast food place, yet again. It was warm and it felt like a hug. It is definitely on its way to becoming my new food hyperfixation for the next week and it deserves a special place in everyone’s hearts. If there is any reason to take a quick trip to the golden arches, let it be this apple pie. 

Lastly, Coca-Cola. Never failing. A GA pride and staple. Maybe it did not have the same pizzazz and punch as the coveted McDonald’s Sprite, but you will never be disappointed with this classic.

William Van de Planque:

I don’t eat fast food often. Most of the time, my first choice is Chick-fil-a for a quick meal and good service. When Becca brought the meal to our production meeting for us to taste-test, I was excited for a new, different, and themed meal from the widely popular chain; something I had never tried before. 

The Cardi B & Offset Meal was surprisingly disappointing and did not nearly meet my expectations. Sure, I think it’s safe to say most people don’t order Hi-C at McDonald’s, but other than that, the meal was more or less bland. The burger and the quarter-pounder had the same old plastic taste like almost every other item on the chain’s menu. The meal does come with a fun themed to-go bag, with the logo of the collaboration featured on the side.

I had never dipped a burger in BBQ sauce, which was something new for me. However, it was just BBQ sauce. It was just a burger. These are everyday things. Encountering them, especially in the fast-food industry, is not new for anyone. 

Perhaps that was the point of the meal and of the collab in general. Cardi B and Offset, big influencers in American culture, while they lead lavish lifestyles, they are able to interact with everyday life and those living it. They have taken something so simple as a fast food meal and made it into a “date night tradition”, as the celebrity couple has repeatedly advertised. Of course, there is the possibility that they have only done this solely for the money, making the meal less romantic. Either way, setting any controversies aside, the celebrity couple shows that sometimes simplicity and frugality can make the most intimate date nights and even start long-lasting traditions.