BTS member V is driving up the sales of the Oreo McFlurry at McDonald's even as this particular product is not part of their recently released BTS Meal, their tie-up with the fast-food brand.
The BTS-McDonald's meal partnership features the chicken McNuggets with two special sauces (cajun and sweet chili), medium fries and soft drinks but reports cited the BTS fans have also been ordering the Oreo McFlurry because of their BTS idol.
Staff workers at McDonald's have been told beforehand to expect a surge in demand for Oreo McFlurry after clips of V surfaced showing that he also ordered the dessert at one South Korean fast-food outlet. According to the ARMY, the massive BTS fanbase, the ice cream is V's favorite thus it became a top recommendation to go with the BTS Meal.
Since its launch on May 26, the BTS Meal has been selling fast that even the U.S. Embassy in Seoul recommended it on their Instagram account. The ambassador also reportedly ordered an Oreo McFlurry for himself and posted the message with a V sticker.
The BTS Meal will be available at McDonald's branches worldwide until the end of June. According to CNN, the fast-food chain has also dropped a limited edition merchandise that includes hoodies, socks, sandals, shirts and bathrobes in purple and yellow.
Though McDonald's has tied up with other artists before, such as Travis Scott and J Balvin, this BTS partnership is the first to go on sale worldwide. McDonald's is taking it a step further in the U.S. as its BTS Meal launch incorporates digital surprises on the mobile app that fans have not been seen before.
In Asia, the BTS collaboration comes with some random photocards for those who buy the merchandise, which will be available until June 27.
Meanwhile, despite the worldwide popularity of BTS, the group's appearance in the Friends Reunion special was cut out from the China broadcast along with Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber's appearances. Though censorship is not new to China, many viewers have been bewildered about the removal.
According to Variety, the 13-second appearance of BTS in the U.S. TV show was taken out because they have "insulted" China when they failed to mention the Chinese soldiers that sacrificed their lives during the Korean War in one awards speech. Clips of the deleted scenes, however, are available on various video streaming platforms and fans in China could still view them while it has not yet been taken down by the watchdogs.
