15 Forgotten Fast Food Promotions That Were a Big Deal
Fast-food history is packed with wild, weird, and unforgettable promotions that once took the world by storm—only to vanish into nostalgia.
- Alyana Aguja
- 5 min read
Fast food chains have debuted hundreds of promotions over the decades, ranging from strange marketing pranks to favorite limited-time offerings that became pop culture phenomena. Some, such as McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce and Burger King’s Pokémon toys, inspired national crazes, while others, such as the Arch Deluxe, flamed out. While many of those promotions have vanished into the ages, they continue to live in the hearts and stomachs of fast-food enthusiasts who still long for a return of the old.
1. McDonald’s Arch Deluxe (1996)
Image from Medium
McDonald’s invested around $300 million promoting the Arch Deluxe, a “sophisticated” burger for adults. Although it had a special bun, mustard-mayo sauce, and higher-end packaging, consumers weren’t paying extra for a more elaborate Big Mac. It turned into one of the largest product failures in fast-food history.
2. Burger King’s Pokémon Gold & Silver Toys (2000)
Image from Reddit
As part of the Pokémon phenomenon, Burger King sold 57 collectible toys inside Poké Balls, one of which unfortunately resulted in a child’s death through suffocation. The recall of 25 million toys was one of the largest in fast-food history. Regardless of the controversy, Pokémon fans still nostalgically recall the promotion.
3. Taco Bell’s “Win a Free Taco from Mir” Stunt (2001)
Image from Kickstart Side Hustle
Taco Bell put a huge floating target in the ocean and said that if the Mir space station wreckage hit it, all Americans would receive a free taco. Although the publicity stunt created huge media coverage, Mir disintegrated on re-entry, and the promotion did not pay out. Nevertheless, it was a marketing coup in publicity.
4. McDonald’s Super-Size Option (1993-2004)
Image from Wikipedia
McDonald’s Super Size option was a fast food favorite until it was slain by the documentary Super Size Me (2004). The documentary’s criticism of the health hazards posed by fast foods and the change in consumers prompted McDonald’s to abandon the choice silently. It’s just a reminder to anyone who grew up in the ’90s.
5. Burger King’s “Where’s Herb?” (1985-86)
Image from Instagram
Burger King created a strange promotion about “Herb,” a made-up guy who had never consumed a Whopper. Anyone who saw “Herb” at a Burger King could win $5,000, but the promotion only confused more than thrilled. The promotion failed, and “Herb” is now an example of a bad marketing flop.
6. Pizza Hut’s BOOK IT! Program (1984-Present, but remembered by few)
Image from Pizza Hut Blog
The ’80s and ’90s childhood staple, Pizza Hut’s BOOK IT! program gave kids a free personal pan pizza for reading books. Although the program technically still exists, it’s a mere shadow of its former self and no longer a common occurrence. Many adults today reminisce about it as their first experience with incentivized learning.
7. Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef?” Contest (1984)
Image from TV Tropes
This slogan-turned-contest was one of the most memorable fast-food promotions in history. Wendy’s challenged consumers to utter “Where’s the beef?” at participating restaurants to receive prizes, such as $1,000 daily awards. Although it was initially a hit, the promotion disappeared, leaving only a legendary advertising jingle behind.
8. McDonald’s McDLT (1984-1991)
Image from Reddit
The McDLT (McDonald’s Lettuce & Tomato) came in a two-compartment Styrofoam box, separating the hot and cold items. Some people adored the novelty, but environmental issues surrounding Styrofoam packaging spelled its end. Jason Alexander (before Seinfeld) even appeared in a cringe-worthy musical advertisement for it.
9. KFC’s Popcorn Chicken Launch (1992, Relaunched in 2019)
Image from Wikipedia
KFC launched bite-sized Popcorn Chicken in 1992 as a snackable version of full chicken meals. It was an instant hit but went quietly out of business for years before its return in 2019. Even after its revival, it remains synonymous with ’90s fast-food nostalgia.
10. McDonald’s Halloween Buckets (1986-1990s, occasional returns)
Image from Ebay.ph
These plastic trick-or-treat pails (McBoo, McPunk’n, and McGoblin) were a Halloween mainstay for children of the ’80s and ’90s. They pop up occasionally in short-lived returns but never with such regularity as in the past. Many collectors still hunt the originals, which now fetch astonishing sums on eBay.
11. Subway’s $5 Footlong Jingle (2008-2016, temporarily revived in 2017)
Image from MarketWatch
“Five. Five dollar. Five dollar footloooong.” The catchy jingle was effective in driving Subway to sandwich market dominance during the recession. However, as food costs increased, the deal became unsustainable, and the $5 Footlong slowly phased out, leaving nostalgic memories and an earworm of a tune.
12. McDonald’s Changeables (1987-1990)
Image from Wikipedia
These Happy Meal toys became robots, leveraging the ’80s Transformers fad. They were a huge success with children and remain popular among retro toy enthusiasts. McDonald’s brought them back briefly in 2019, but they never reached their former popularity.
13. Burger King’s Sneak King Game (2006)
Image from Wikipedia
In perhaps the most bizarre fast-food promotion in history, Burger King hawked an Xbox game in which gamers controlled The King, creeping up on individuals to hand them Whoppers. It was actually pretty decent for a fast-food tie-in, gaining cult status. The creepy mascot and strange stealth gameplay, though, made it a bizarre footnote in BK history.
14. McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce Mania (1998 & 2017-2018)
Image from LesDudis
First a Mulan film tie-in, McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce existed briefly in 1998 before being forgotten—until Rick and Morty turned it into a viral hit in 2017. When McDonald’s reintroduced it in limited quantities, stores were flooded with irate fans clamoring for more. The promotion descended into chaos, demonstrating the strength of pop culture nostalgia.
15. Jack in the Box’s “Monster Taco” (2009, various revivals)
Image from Jack in the Box Wiki - Fandom
Monster Taco was a big size of the iconic tacos made by Jack in the Box that first appeared in 2009 as a one-off Halloween flavor. It achieved cult status, only to be cut occasionally until recently. Consumers still hope to see it in a permanent lineup.