McDonald’s and Mercedes-Benz have joined up for a China promotion. What do the two brands have in common? Well on the face of it, nothing. One sells cheap burgers, the other expensive cars. Reputationally they couldn’t be further apart.
But it seems the two brands have pulled off one of the most unexpected brand pairings of the season. Their new campaign, cheekily titled So Mc-Benz (就很麦驰), promotes two very different launches: McDonald’s White Truffle French Ham Angus Thick Beef Burger and Mercedes’ new all-electric CLA.
The teasing started early. Mercedes-Benz kicked things off with a missing car poster – a tongue-in-cheek ad featuring a McDonald’s-themed CLA that immediately sent social media talking. McDonald’s followed with an animated visual where, as a burger was sliced, the Mercedes three-point star gradually emerged.
When the collaboration officially launched, Mercedes released an ad that playfully mimicked McDonald’s signature burger-ad cinematography: glossy close-ups, slow pans, and silky textures, but focused on the new car instead. ‘Soft bun or soft headrest? Smooth butter or smooth superscreen?’ read the captions, blending food and automotive language into a sensory crossover.
Offline, McDonald’s co-branded six stores across six major cities. Visitors could check in, explore themed vehicles, and enjoy a burger from a Mercedes seat. Each city’s car carried its own twist of burger-inspired emblems, playful details like horns on mirrors to keep the collab memorable.
Adding to the resonance was one unexpected link: table tennis star Wang Chuqin, who happens to be both a McDonald’s brand ambassador and part of Mercedes-Benz’s New Voice lineup. His dual role created perhaps the only natural bridge between the two brands and drew extra attention online.
So, what are McDonald’s and Mercedes doing together? For McDonald’s, the campaign adds a layer of premium sheen to its Angus line. For Mercedes-Benz, it borrows McDonald’s humour and pop-culture fluency to close the gap with younger audiences.
The result may not feel like the most natural of partnerships. Mercedes-Benz have a track record of difficult collaborations in China, but the McDonald’s one seems to be working. Fans are already posting check-in photos with the co-branded CLA display cars at McDonald’s stores, and Wang Chuqin’s dual ambassador role is doing a lot of the distribution work. It does still beg the question: when has this whole collaboration craze gone too far?
