McDonald’s Employees Share High Praise for Swedish MAX Burgers

McDonald’s recently announced that their entire menu will undergo 'the biggest upgrade in decades,' including the Big Mac. In response, Swedish burger chain MAX has invited current and former McDonald’s employees to try 'the updated version.'

"Like a hug in the mouth" and "the masterpiece of burgers" were some of the reviews for the 'updated Big Mac' that the invitees got to try. But was it that simple?

Swedish MAX has a long history of teasing the big American fast-food giant. For instance, they named their double burger 'Big Max' in the early '70s, but the competitor did not appreciate it. Nor did they accept the subsequent 'Max Big,' which led to the burger being simply called 'BIG' ever since.

"Many probably think that the big American chain was ahead of us, but they didn't come to Sweden until 1973. By then, we had already been around for five years, and our Big Max burger for two. Eventually, they sent their lawyers after us, and after a bit of fuss, our burger was allowed to be called BIG," says Linus Blom, head of brand strategy and planning at MAX Burgers.

But now, BIG has received a major update, changed its name to BIG CLASSIC, and relaunched in all MAX restaurants. This happens as the big American competitor has announced changes to its most famous burger.

"A perfect opportunity for a test, their so-called 'big' double burger against ours. And to be a bit fair, we gave them a significant advantage with a totally biased jury – in their favour. Or so we thought."

In the Big M*c Update campaign, MAX capitalised on the competitor's update, inviting current and former McDonald's employees to a taste test where they compared a Big Mac with an 'updated version'. Thus, neither before nor during the recording did they know who was behind the test or what burger they actually tasted. This was not revealed until after the test, also in front of the camera. 

But the results were even clearer. "The masterpiece of burgers" says a former employee.

"Yes, the results were beyond expectations. Many will surely think it's rigged, as we got almost too good reactions. But we can assure everyone that none of the participants knew the conditions. Hopefully, this will encourage more people to compare the two. But it is clear that the prefix 'big' really only suits one of these burgers," concludes Linus Blom.

The campaign, created by Åkestam Holst NoA in Stockholm, will go online and on social media.