The McDonald’s Mystery: A Cryptic Message Sparks Speculation
The Mysterious Post
The McDonald’s rumor mill is alive and well thanks to a mysterious Instagram post by the Chicago-based burger chain. McDonald’s posted a cryptic message Tuesday morning in the form of a brief animated video, with a friendly-looking smiley face and the date "11/18" in the caption.
The Video
In the lavender-colored video, what appears to be a bite taken out of a McDonald’s hash brown is in the left bottom corner. In the middle is a brown coffee cup with a lid that says "hot contents," before a pink hand grabs it out of the way. Once the cup is removed, a residue ring is left from the beverage, in the shape of the same smiley-face in the caption, but a bit altered, with one eye on the outside of the face.
The Song and Lyrics
The video is accompanied by a song, which Instagram identifies as "McDonald’s original audio." Some of the lyrics in the song appear to say "waking up beside you."
Speculation Begins
And from there, the internet speculation begins. Certain clues – the hot coffee, hash brown, song lyrics – led some hopeful commenters to believe all-day breakfast, which McDonald’s ended in 2020, could be coming back to the chain. Others hypothesized the post could signal a McDonald’s collaboration between one of two cult-favorite brands: Smiling Friends, a fan-favorite animated show on Adult Swim, or The Doodles, an animated universe with hand-drawn characters and generative avatars that spans merchandise, movies, music videos and NFTs.
Comments and Theories
Characters from Smiling Friends looked similar to the smiley face shared in McDonald’s Instagram post, commenters said, while others said it was more reminiscent of The Doodles. Making matters more suspicious, The Doodles even weighed in the comment section, saying "gm" – internet shorthand for "good morning." Julian Holguin, The Doodles CEO, also appeared to have shared the teased video onto his Instagram page.
No Official Response
McDonald’s did not immediately respond to NBC Chicago’s request for comment regarding the post.
Recent Developments
The post comes as McDonald’s USA earlier this month launched Spicy Chicken McNuggets in select cities across the country. And following the chain’s iconic Halloween Boo Buckets, McDonald’s launched iconic Super Mario Kart toy characters in Happy Meals.
Conclusion
The mysterious post has sparked a frenzy of speculation among McDonald’s fans, with some believing it could signal the return of all-day breakfast, while others think it may be a collaboration with a cult-favorite brand. Whatever the truth may be, one thing is certain – the internet is buzzing with excitement.
FAQs
Q: What did the Instagram post show?
A: The post showed a brief animated video with a friendly-looking smiley face and a date "11/18" in the caption.
Q: What did the video depict?
A: The video showed a bite taken out of a McDonald’s hash brown, a brown coffee cup with a lid, and a pink hand grabbing the cup.
Q: What was the song that accompanied the video?
A: The song was identified as "McDonald’s original audio" and some of the lyrics appeared to say "waking up beside you."
Q: What are some of the theories behind the post?
A: Some commenters believe the post could signal the return of all-day breakfast, while others think it may be a collaboration with a cult-favorite brand, such as Smiling Friends or The Doodles.
Q: Did McDonald’s respond to the speculation?
A: McDonald’s did not immediately respond to NBC Chicago’s request for comment regarding the post.
