The Arch Deluxe was a
hamburger
A hamburger, or simply burger, is a food consisting of fillings—usually a patty of ground meat, typically beef—placed inside a sliced bun or bread roll. Hamburgers are often served with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon, ...
sold by the international
fast food restaurant chain
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...
in 1996 and marketed specifically to adults. It was soon discontinued after failing to become popular despite a massive marketing campaign and now is considered one of the most expensive flops of all time.
Product description
The Arch Deluxe was a
quarter pound of
beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus'').
In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantit ...
on a split-top
potato flour sesame seed
Sesame ( or ; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a flowering plant in the genus '' Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cu ...
bun, topped with a circular piece of peppered
bacon, leaf lettuce, tomato,
American cheese
Modern American cheese is a type of processed cheese developed in the 1910s made from cheddar, Colby, or similar cheeses. It is mild with a creamy and salty flavor, has a medium-firm consistency, and has a low melting point. It is typically ye ...
, onions, ketchup, and Dijonnaise (a
portmanteau
A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of words[Dijon mustard
Dijon mustard (french: Moutarde de Dijon) is a traditional mustard of France, named after the town of Dijon in Burgundy, France, which was the center of mustard making in the late Middle Ages and was granted exclusive rights in France in the 17 ...](_blank)
and
mayonnaise) sauce.
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.
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 $ in ),
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 today.
McDonald's is estimated to have spent over US$300 million on the research, production, and marketing for the Arch Deluxe. The company stated in 2003 that some of its initial research into adult marketing was recycled in the development of its successful line of
salad
A salad is a dish consisting of mixed, mostly natural ingredients with at least one raw ingredient. They are typically served at room temperature or chilled, though some can be served warm. Condiments and salad dressings, which exist in a va ...
s.
See also
*
McDonald's Deluxe line
The McDonald's Deluxe line was a series of sandwiches introduced in the early to mid 1990s and marketed by McDonald's with the intent of capturing the adult fast food consumer market, presented as a more sophisticated burger for adult tastes. The ...
*
McDonald's products
*
List of defunct consumer brands
This is a list of defunct consumer brands which are no longer made and usually no longer mass-marketed to consumers. Brands in this list may still be made, but are only made in modest quantities and/or limited runs as a nostalgic or retro style i ...
Critized
fast food products:
*
McAfrika
Similar products from other fast food vendors:
*
Burger King products
*
BK Crown Jewels line
*
TenderCrisp
The TenderCrisp is a chicken sandwich sold by international fast-food restaurant chain Burger King and its Australian franchisee, Hungry Jack's. It is one of their "indulgent" products.
The TenderCrisp sandwich is part of a series of sandwiches ...
sandwich
References
Bibliography
*
External links
McDonald's original Arch Deluxe Websitefrom the
Internet Wayback Machine
The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the World Wide Web founded by the Internet Archive, a nonprofit based in San Francisco, California. Created in 1996 and launched to the public in 2001, it allows the user to go "back in time" and see ...
{{McDonald's
McDonald's foods
Defunct consumer brands
Products introduced in 1996
Fast food hamburgers