The promotional opportunity was unbelievable. "Rick and Morty" handed a golden goose to McDonald's to get some good publicity and make some new consumers out of a desirable demographic. But just like one of the quests in the Adult Swim show, nothing went to plan. Most fans left their local fast food joint disappointed. All they wanted was some Szechuan sauce. Instead, they left with empty hands, empty stomachs, and a whole lot of bitterness that might not have been brought by the fast food chain in the first place. Fortune confirmed the mishap.
McDonald's lacks the sauce
When it was announced that McDonald's would bring back Szechuan sauce for one day, the excitement across the nation was palpable. The sauce was created in 1998 as a promotional item for Disney's "Mulan." After that, it disappeared, seemingly forever. That is, until the premiere of the third season of "Rick and Morty." In the show, Rick referenced his love and desire for the sauce several times, leading to an intensified discussion about its return to menus across the United States.
McDonald's heeded the call and decided to bring back the sauce for a limited time - just on October 7. They were also only bringing it back in limited locations. That meant fans were destined for long lines and some disappointment.
What they probably didn't expect, however, is the disappointment of not even nearing a chance to try the Szechuan sauce. Wonder if "Rick and Morty" will give this day a send-up down the road?
"Rick and Morty" fans are not happy
Complaints about the promotion rolled in almost immediately after it was scheduled to start. The biggest complaint is that there simply wasn't enough sauce to go around - not even close.
People immediately began invoking the name of Wendy's, the biggest rival to McDonald's. Many reported that there were only a few packets available at locations with hundreds of people lined up to get some. Some even called for a boycott of the chain.
.@McDonalds REALLY horrible marketing to make 1000s of ppl line up for #SzechuanSauce when you only have 20 per location #boycottMcDonalds
— ChrisC (@Angeleyyz) October 7, 2017
The official "Rick and Morty" Twitter account didn't discuss the mishap, as they were focused on New York Comic-Con.
McDonald's, however, issued a mea culpa of sorts. They passionately promoted the sauce on Twitter all week, so there was no escaping the inevitable backlash. They proceeded to issue an apology in the afternoon.
The best fans in the multiverse showed us what they got today. We hear you & we're sorry not everyone could get some super-limited Szechuan.
— McDonald's (@McDonalds) October 7, 2017
It's unlikely that this promotion will ever be run again. "Rick and Morty" fans will have to live without their Szechuan sauce indefinitely. And this is why we can't have nice things.
