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How much is a 2004 Volkswagen GTI worth these days? The right answer is a few inches of a legendary Szechuan sauce pack. This trade was possible due to TV series Rick and Morty and the fandom that grew around it.
McDonald’s took advantage of a scene from this show where Rick references a long-gone sauce from this chain of restaurants. The trick was to launch only a limited number of such packs. This is how a young woman came in possession of a Volkswagen car in exchange for a small quantity of edible product with added pop culture references.
The Controversial McDonald’s Product Was a Small Part of Marketing Efforts for the Launch of Mulan Movie
The controversial McDonald’s sauce has a history that outstretches the year of 2017. Actually, the story begins in 1998, when McDonald’s planned a marketing strategy with Disney. Together, they wanted to promote the launch of movie Mulan.
Therefore, the company retailed a limited number of packs with a special teriyaki-flavored dipping sauce. The product was known as the Szechuan sauce. However, its presence faded away together with the hype for the Disney movie.
Rachel Marie from Macomb Traded One of the One-Day Revived Sauce Pack for a Volkswagen Car
After 19 years of falling into oblivion, the memory of this sauce is revived on TV during the Rick and Morty unannounced first episode of Season 3. This is where the lead villain of the show, Rick, explains why he is up to mischief. He gives a 30-second speech on how all his actions were influenced by his need for Szechuan sauce from McDonald’s.
Therefore, the company got an unexpected and unasked-for marketing opportunity. Following the season premiere, McDonald’s revived the much-acclaimed sauce for a day.
The true fandom of the Rick and Morty fandom showed its face when people waited for hours in line for this referenced product. Many of them were disappointed when they couldn’t get their hands on a single pack of sauce.
The lucky possessors of a pack of legendary Szechuan sauce started auction their asset for money. However, one lucky woman received more than she bargained for. Rachel Marie from Macomb, Mich., was looking for a sauce exchange for a collection of pins. Instead, she accepted to become the owner of a red 2004 Volkswagen GTI.
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