QSR Brands Avoid Association with Trump Even As He Endorses Them

On Monday, President Trump laid out a spread of burgers and sides from some of the nation’s leading quick-service chains for the visiting North Dakota State football team at the White House. Represented restaurants included McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A and Wendy’s, resulting in a scene that was “probably worth millions of dollars in free advertising,” according to an article in the Washington Post.

Trump addressed the room: “‘We like American companies, okay?,’ standing before hundreds of Big Macs and and chicken sandwiches alongside the North Dakota State football team,” the article said.

Despite Trump promoting the event (and the companies) on his Twitter, those brands from whom the White House ordered remained silent on social media.

“Representatives of McDonald’s, Burger King and Chick-fil-A did not respond to multiple requests asking if they welcomed Trump’s endorsement,” the article said.

“In the past, consumer brands have been eager to highlight their proximity to presidents, whose endorsements are especially significant because they are presumed to have access to the best products, said Nick Powills, CEO and chief brand strategist of Chicago-based No Limit Agency*,” said the article.

According to the article, Powills noted that the lack of response from quick-service brands to Trump is a notable departure from companies’ scramble for proximity during the Obama era.

“It’s unfortunate that that’s what we’ve come to,” Powills said in the article. “No matter what, you’re at a celebration at the White House, and it should be something you [promote]. It’s too bad that silence is the answer.”