The Arch Deluxe was a hamburger sold by the international fast food restaurant chain McDonald's in 1996 and marketed specifically to adults. Despite having the largest advertising and promotional budget in fast food history at the time,[4] it was soon discontinued after failing to become popular. It is considered one of the most expensive product flops of all time.[5]
 Arch deluxe Logo | |||||||||||
| Nutritional value per 1 sandwich | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 560 kcal (2,300 kJ) | ||||||||||
32 g | |||||||||||
| Saturated | 11 g | ||||||||||
50 g | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| †Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[2] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[3] Source: CSPI[1] | |||||||||||
Product description
The Arch Deluxe was a quarter pound of beef on a split-top potato flour sesame seed bun, topped with a circular piece of peppered bacon, leaf lettuce, tomato, American cheese, onions, ketchup, and Dijonnaise (a portmanteau of Dijon mustard and mayonnaise) sauce.[6]
History
In response to the demographic trend of longer lifespans and an expanding older market, and to its child-centered image, McDonald's made a conscious decision to attempt to market its food to a more adult audience. Rather than change its existing menu items or marketing strategy, the company decided to create a new line of sandwiches with what would hopefully be perceived as more sophisticated ingredients. It commissioned Executive Chef Andrew Selvaggio to create the Deluxe line of burgers including the Fish Filet Deluxe, Grilled Chicken Deluxe, Crispy Chicken Deluxe, and the flagship Arch Deluxe.[citation needed]
The Arch Deluxe was first tested as a "Taste of the Month" burger in October 1995 at McDonald's restaurants in Canada. Afterwards, the Arch Deluxe was officially released in May 1996 in one of the most expensive advertising campaigns to date. Customers were dissuaded, however, by the high price, which ranged from US$2.09 up to US$2.49 (equivalent to $5 in 2023),[7] and unconventional ads, and consumer groups were upset by the higher caloric content. The brand was still sold at select restaurants during 1998 and 1999. On August 18, 2000, the Arch Deluxe was finally discontinued, and is no longer found at McDonald's stores.[6]
McDonald's is estimated to have spent over US$300 million (equivalent to $583 million in 2023) on the research, production, and marketing for the Arch Deluxe.[8] The company stated in 2003 that some of its initial research into adult marketing was recycled in the development of its successful line of salads.[9]
See also
Criticized fast food products:
Similar products from other fast food vendors:
References
- ^ Cronin, Jeff (May 3, 1996). "McDonald's Targets Americans' Hearts". CSPI. Retrieved October 6, 2007.
- ^ United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". FDA. Archived from the original on 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
- ^ National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019). Oria, Maria; Harrison, Meghan; Stallings, Virginia A. (eds.). Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (US). ISBN 978-0-309-48834-1. PMID 30844154. Archived from the original on 2024-05-09. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
- ^ Collins, Glenn (19 September 1996). "Chief of McDonald's Defends Arch Deluxe to Franchisees". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
- ^ Taylor, Kate (January 3, 2018). "McDonald's is bringing back one of its most expensive failures — with one major difference". Business Insider.
- ^ a b McGrath, Jane. "5 Failed McDonald's Menu Items". HowStuffWorks. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
- ^ Glass, Jeremy (2021-07-23). "The Arch Deluxe Was a Hell of a Burger. It Was Also McDonald's Most Expensive Flop". Eater. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
- ^ Grant, Charley (November 15, 2019). "There Isn't Enough Special Sauce to Win the Burger Wars". The Wall Street Journal.(subscription required)
- ^ Bock, Wally (March 17, 2003). "McDonald's: When the Passion is Gone, the Profits are Over". MondayMemo.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2003. Retrieved October 6, 2007.