Hallelujah!
McDonald’s has proclaimed the McRib’s return “a holiday miracle.”
I can’t make this stuff up. It’s right there on their homepage, alongside a call to “gift yourself a tangy, saucy McRib” while you can.
Divine greatness knows no bounds — and has a knack for inducing FOMO.
Speaking of fast food holiday wonders, here’s one that blows westerners’ minds: In Japan, Christmas dinner means KFC.
Not turkey. Not ham. Crispy, spicy, greasy fried chicken.
The tradition started in 1974, when KFC noticed many foreigners in Japan couldn’t find turkey for Christmas dinner. They launched “Kentucky for Christmas” with a simple party bucket and created such demand that Japanese families now order their KFC Christmas dinners months in advance.
The Colonel has become Japan’s Santa Claus. Really.
What I love about this is how it shows the weird, wonderful ways traditions get started.
Someone spots a need, offers a solution, and suddenly you’ve got millions of Japanese families who can’t imagine Christmas without KFC.
McDonald’s clearly understands this power. The glorious McRib hath ascended above being a sandwich, to become a cultural moment. (Not in my personal culture, but to each his or her own.)
Its limited availability and holiday timing make the McRib special, memorable, and different from just grabbing another Big Mac.
In I Need That, I talk about how the dog brain connects deeply with ritual and tradition. These are experiences that trigger memories AND emotions.
And the timing? Sublime.
We’re all looking for a bit of holiday magic right now, even if it comes in a bucket — or cardboard box with extra BBQ sauce.
Action for today: What unexpected traditions have your customers created around your product or its category? Sometimes the best traditions start by accident.
What kind of “miracle” could your product become?
Hit reply to share your thoughts — serious (like me) or otherwise!
Laurier
P.S. Fun fact: KFC Japan’s Christmas sales are so huge, they’re roughly 10 times the company’s normal daily average. The power of tradition, served with eleven herbs and spices.