After July 12, 1998, the date of France’s victory against Brazil in the World Cup final, several French internationals became advertising icons. Among them, Fabien Barthez.
McDonald’s asks the Blues goalkeeper to launch the Mega Mac: an XXL Big Mac with four steaks instead of two, intended for “big appetites” champions.
The American multinational chooses the “Divine Bald” as its muse. Indeed, his shaved head has become a symbol because of the superstitious ritual adopted during the World Cup at home with Laurent Blanc. Before each match, the central defender kissed his goalkeeper’s head.
Fabien Barthez and McDonald’s, the story has endured
In the ad, we see a hand removing sesame seeds from the bread of the Mega Mac one by one. And this, until the burger becomes “bald”. Then, Fabien Barthez appears and kisses the sandwich, exactly as Laurent Blanc kissed his skull.
This sport really established him as a McDonald’s muse. The contract was initially limited to this operation in September 1998, but the success was such that the relationship continued. In 2012 for example, during the Euro, Fabien Barthez played community manager on the McDonald’s France Facebook page.
