To generate enthusiasm for the new fried chicken sandwich, McDonald's is marketing $5 swag packages including a hoodie and a coupon for the new product.
David Tovar, VP of U.S. Communications for McDonald's was quoted in a press release stating, "we are excited to give fans early access to this sandwich, and exclusive swag they can't get anywhere else to memorialize this great addition to our menu".
The new McDonald's chicken sandwich went on sale on Wednesday, February 17th after a test that demonstrated significant demand. Speaking at the McDonald’s November 2020 Investors’ Day, Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald's USA noted, "globally the chicken category is almost twice the size of beef and is growing faster and represents a significant opportunity". He added, "developing a reputation for great chicken represents one of our highest aspirations. We want customers to choose McDonald's for chicken".
McDonald's was slow to respond to the introduction of the Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen product in 2019. Wendy's, Shake Shack and KFC have all introduced upgraded chicken sandwiches having allowed Chick-fil-A™ to dominate this space for many years, becoming the largest chicken-centered U.S. chain.