McDonald's Dips Into The World of BTS

BTS fan and Los Angeles high school student Genely Machuca with her RJ BT21 merchandise, enjoys trying out the new McDonald’s BTS meal collaboration, for the first time in the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles, Calif. on Monday, May 31, 2021. (Guadalupe Perez | The Corsair)

The Korean Pop (K-Pop) band BTS has partnered with the fast-food chain, McDonald's, to release their limited-time-only, BTS-themed meal. The award-winning band, which originated from South Korea and consists of seven members, is extremely successful in both the United States and worldwide.

Collaborations between McDonald's and celebrities are not new. Their first limited-edition celebrity meal was Michael Jordan's, in 1992. They have since partnered with rapper, Travis Scott, and reggaeton star, J Balvin, making the BTS meal collaboration their fourth official celebrity meal.

This latest limited-edition meal for purchase includes a box of ten chicken McNuggets, fries, soda, and two limited-time-only dipping sauces. The two sauces, Cajun and Sweet Chili, are inspired by recipes from McDonald's sauces that were, until now, exclusively available in the band's homeland of South Korea.

The BTS meal comes with photo cards of the band’s members and special packaging, available at select locations, while supplies last. In addition, they released an exclusive clothing line and merchandise that can be purchased online for a limited time through the Weverse Shop app. The clothing line includes BTS x McDonald's branded hoodies, shirts, and socks, along with other items.

Genely Machuca, a high school student from Los Angeles, has been a fan of BTS since 2015. "I think [the excitement] because of the [free photo cards] and the packaging...[their merchandise is on] a shop called Weverse, and it's really hard to purchase anything because all the items are really expensive,” said Machuca. “When they decided to do the [collab with McDonald's], it was something that I was like, I'm definitely going to [purchase the meal], because I want to support them in any way.”

The collaboration between BTS and McDonald’s is exciting news for some. The inclusion of these South Korean-themed sauces gives BTS fans and McDonald's customers globally a chance to get a taste of the world of BTS.