McDonald’s Takes a Fancy to Breakfast

Angus the Third

McDonald’s is playing a fancy new tune in counterpoint to Hungry Jack’s (Burger King’s) introduction of the jazzy Bourbon Whopper in Australia.

New at the Golden Arches is “Angus the Third,” a variation on the upscale Grand Angus and Mighty Angus burgers it introduced a year ago. The differentiator is a sauce, described as “tomato chili relish” in TV commercials that reprise the “It’s a little bit fancy” slogan used last year for the Angus line. Lettuce, tomato and cheese complete the burger build. Angus the Third will be available only through mid-September.

The second of McDonald’s “New Fancy Burgers” is the Chicken Bacon Deluxe. It features a bigger fried chicken patty, cheese, bacon and “gourmet salad” that make it “deluxier than ever.” Impressive.

Bakehouse Brekkie Roll

The most interesting wrinkle may be McDonald’s decision to extend the “It’s a little bit fancy” slogan to breakfast for the first time. The line is used to introduce two new morning-menu items: a Rosti Brekkie Wrap (an egg, bacon and fried potato patty wrapped in a tortilla) and a Bakehouse Brekkie Roll (egg, fried-potato patty, bacon and onion relish on a sourdough roll).

Obviously, the “little bit fancy” positioning is one that McDonald’s can use elsewhere. That includes the U.S., if it chooses, as it takes its menu more upscale with items such as the $1.99 Angus Snack Wrap it rolls out nationally here on Aug. 10.

The back-and-forth battle between McDonald’s and Hungry Jack’s over Angus burgers and breakfast item has been one of the most active and interesting conflicts in the global burger marketplace. Hungry Jack’s brought back its Angry Angus burger earlier this summer before replacing it with the Bourbon Whopper. It’s latest breakfast offer is the “Wrap & Cap” deal, which combines a sausage-bacon-egg-and-cheese tortilla wrap plus a cappuccino.