What celebrity meal should McDonald's release next?
A customer at a McDonalds Philippines restaurant orders the BTS Meal in June 2021 Photo : Ezra Acayan ( Getty Images )  Once again McDonalds has claimed the top spot on NRNs list of the 50 biggest restaurants in America, towering over its competitors with a whopping $39.53 billion in 2020 sales. Even though McDonalds is the dictionary definition of an industry titan, it still had to get clever in order to thrive during the food industrys annus horribilis. The chain made big moves like introducing a new line of chicken sandwiches and embracing the power of celebrity collaborationssomething the chain hadnt done since the fabled McJordan Special of 1992. Advertisement  Last September McDonalds released a limited-edition combo meal curated by Travis Scott featuring a Quarter Pounder with bacon, shredded lettuce, and cheese; fries with barbecue sauce for dipping; and a medium Sprite. Though on the surface there is nothing particularly special about that meal, Scotts endorsement made it so popular that some restaurants began running out of the ingredients to make it. Weeks later came the J Balvin Meal, which was equally unimpressive on paper (Big Mac, medium fries, Oreo McFlurry), but thanks to the celebrity endorsement, McDonalds made a shitton of money. After a cold, celebrity-meal-less winter, the company roared back this spring in collaboration with the biggest stars in the world: Korean pop group BTS. Unlike Scott and Balvin, the seven biggest figures in pop music used their outsized influence to wow and amaze us, persuading McDonalds to bring the Sweet Chili and Cajun McNugget dipping sauces from its South Korean restaurants to America. I was somewhat indifferent to BTS before this collaboration, but as a lifelong McNugget enthusiast, I am now a superfan who shall forever be in their debt. Imagine what kind of power other celebrities might be able to wield! Maybe one day well get an Arianna Grandeapproved McPlant with sweet and sour fries and Diet Coke, or a Timothe Chalametinspired Filet-O-Fish meal, or a large sack of hash browns and McRibs developed in partnership with Steve Buscemi.