Was the McDonald's CEO's Big Arch burger bite just a big act?

McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski recently tried the chain’s new Big Arch burger on camera, and netizens were not convinced that he liked his own brand's burger.

Filmed at an office desk with the burger, fries, and a drink neatly in front of him, Kempczinski took careful bites, repeatedly calling it a “product” and walking viewers through every layer. Social media users flagged the moment as stiff and staged, with some questioning whether the CEO actually consumes McDonald’s in this manner. 

"What's the opposite of genuine and authentic," one user asked in the post's comments section, while another said, "This was the most unnatural thing I’ve ever seen. We need to see less CEOs doing normal stuff." 

Don't miss: Is messy content the new route to authenticity?

So why did the video feel off, even though Kempczinski technically didn’t do anything wrong? Industry professionals MARKETING-INTERACTIVE spoke to said it comes down to believability.

Charlotte McEleny, former senior director of marketing and PR at Monks, called the clip performative. "Marketing is inherently a performance, but we still want to believe the person in charge actually consumes the product," she said. 

"We can even suspend our disbelief that a very slim, healthy-looking, rich man actually eats McDonald’s if he can sell it convincingly, but he didn’t," she added.

Beyond the screen, Oliver Budgen, founder and CEO of Bud, noted that language matters too. Referring to the burger as a “product” creates distance. Combined with controlled body language, the video signals corporate mode, not customer mode.

Allen Looi, head of social at Mutant Communications, added that context matters even more in today’s hyper-personalised feeds.

"When something from a CEO lands in someone’s social space, the scrutiny is amplified tenfold," he said. "A mukbang video featuring corporate terms such as ‘product’ automatically signals corporate intent rather than authenticity, and that leaves a bad taste in viewers’ mouths."

The camera-ready CEO

However, to be fair, not every CEO is comfortable in front of the camera. Possibly, in this instance, forcing them into a role they’re not natural in can backfire. McEleny added the invisible pressure to produce content has reached the boardroom, influencing even McDonald’s to push a CEO taste test that some viewers felt unnecessary. She added:

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

Manisha Seewal, group president at Redhill, highlighted the importance of matching the spokesperson to the story. CEOs work best for vision, accountability, and big-picture narratives; taste tests or playful demos often feel more authentic coming from employees, chefs, or franchisees.

"A tightly controlled, jargon-heavy clip feels less like leadership in action and more like an ad read," she said.

Ashvin Anamalai, CEO of DNA Creative Communications, echoed the sentiment but zooms in on why audiences react the way they do - they’re forgiving of imperfections, yet crave relatability. Careful bites, corporate phrasing, and overly polished delivery can signal inauthenticity, even if the intention is to showcase the brand. In this case, he said: 

It’s less about the burger and more about trust.

Keeping it real

Experts emphasise preparation and purpose. CEOs should go on camera only when they can add clarity, trust, or insight, not simply for optics. Budgen said natural language and believability matter more than polish; comms teams can guide without controlling the moment.

"They need to speak in their own words and sound like themselves. That often means stripping back the corporate phrases that signal message control," he said, noting that if the CEO is not a natural int that format, then change the format. 

Anamalai added that coaching can help leaders relax and speak as humans, rather than institutions. At the end of the day, he said, whether a CEO is ready boils down to one question: are they adding real perspective, or just symbolic presence?

Others also emphasised the importance of format and tone. Looi pointed out that putting a CEO in front of a social-first audience can work for big announcements or product launches, but it’s critical to choose the format, channel, and tone wisely. "The content has to feel genuine rather than shoehorned," he said.

For McDonald’s, the takeaway is clear: authenticity isn’t about a perfectly staged CEO bite. It’s about real reactions, genuine enjoyment, and letting someone who naturally connects with the audience showcase the product. A CEO presence alone doesn’t sell a burger, but a believable, human moment might.

Related articles: 
Outlasting the gossip: Why Astronomer doesn't need to kiss its reputation goodbye  
Why leaders can no longer keep personal affairs private   
Crisis comms or copy-paste? Air India draws scrutiny for CEO’s mirrored statement