The Arch Deluxe was a

hamburger A hamburger (or simply a burger) consists of fillings—usually a patty of ground meat, typically beef—placed inside a sliced bun or bread roll. The patties are often served with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon, or chilis ...

sold by the international

fast food Fast food is a type of Mass production, mass-produced food designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service. ''Fast food'' is a commercial term, limited to food sold in a restaurant or store with frozen, preheat ...

restaurant chain

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...

in 1996 and marketed specifically to adults. Despite having the largest

advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a Product (business), product or Service (economics), service. Advertising aims to present a product or service in terms of utility, advantages, and qualities of int ...

and promotional budget in fast food history at the time, it was soon discontinued after failing to become popular. It is considered one of the most expensive product 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''). Beef can be prepared in various ways; Cut of beef, cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often Ground beef, grou ...

on a split-top potato flour sesame seed bun, topped with a circular piece of peppered

bacon Bacon is a type of Curing (food preservation), salt-cured pork made from various cuts of meat, cuts, typically the pork belly, belly or less fatty parts of the back. It is eaten as a side dish (particularly in breakfasts), used as a central in ...

, leaf lettuce, tomato,

American cheese American cheese is a type of processed cheese made from Cheddar cheese, cheddar, Colby cheese, Colby, or similar cheeses, in conjunction with sodium citrate, which permits the cheese to be pasteurized without its components separating. It is mi ...

, onions, ketchup, and Dijonnaise (a

portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.

Dijon mustard Dijon mustard () is a traditional mustard of France. It is named after the city of Dijon in Burgundy, which was the center of mustard making in the late Middle Ages and was granted exclusive rights in France in the 17th century. First used in ...

and

mayonnaise Mayonnaise (), colloquially referred to as "mayo" (), is a thick, creamy sauce with a rich and tangy taste that is commonly used on sandwiches, hamburgers, Salad#Bound salads, bound salads, and French fries. It also forms the base for various o ...

) 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 A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...

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. McDonald's is estimated to have spent over US$300 million (equivalent to $ million in ) 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 ingredients, frequently vegetables. They are typically served chilled or at room temperature, though some can be served warm. Condiments called '' salad dressings'', which exist in a variety of flavors, a ...

References

External links

McDonald's original Arch Deluxe Website
from the Internet Wayback Machine {{McDonald's McDonald's foods Defunct food product brands Products introduced in 1996 Products and services discontinued in 2000 Fast food hamburgers

Product description

History

See also

References

External links