Why Sprite Is Suddenly Free At McDonald’s
Free Sprite will be available at McDonald's for one day only, but the reason why will surprise you more than the deal itself.
This article is more than 2 years old
There’s been extensive talk around the Sprite that’s available at McDonald’s and how it tastes different from store-bought cans. It’s been discussed all over the internet, from Twitter to Facebook to publications like Reader’s Digest. Most people agree that there’s something better about the lemon-lime soda at the dispenser. For one day only, McDonald’s will give away Sprite for free so customers can taste test the drink.
In one of the most bizarre fast-food chain promotions to date, McDonald’s will have one day of free Sprite for synesthesia purposes. For those who don’t know, synesthesia is the phenomenon where you can experience something through a different sense. For example, people sometimes experience seeing colors when listening to music. For the McDonald’s promotion, the chain encourages customers to pick up a free Sprite and explain on social media what the drink’s taste sounds like. The fast-food company wants to see how people can describe McDonald’s Sprite and if it tastes different from regular grocery store cans. This synesthesia plan could inspire those to articulate the distinction online, generating more attention for McDonald’s chains.
McDonald’s has already released some of its consumers’ inventive ways to describe Sprite’s taste. Over the past month, people on social media have described the taste as sounding like “a zipper closing a jacket, a dog growling, or even TV static.” All over Twitter, customers have jumped to wild descriptions about the sound of the lemon-lime soda. Each description lands entirely outside the box of ordinary interpretations, which is what’s been fueling the McDonald’s Sprite lore over the past decade.
June 21st will be the first and only day that the McDonald’s Sprite promotion will be available. Customers around the nation can stop by any of their local McDonald’s to pick up a free Sprite beverage. If you have social media, it’s strongly encouraged to tweet or write about carbonated soda in the most extreme and imaginative way possible. Though the drink is free, you’ll have to purchase something through the McDonald’s app to get the additional soda. Customers will only have to spend one dollar or more to get a free Sprite with the purchase.
What is it about McDonald’s Sprite that makes it different? For many, the answer is nothing, and the myth surrounding the lemon-lime drink has circulated solely for fun. But, the fast-food chain that prepares and dispenses the carbonated beverage could be the reason for the overwhelming taste difference. First, McDonald’s has a state-of-the-art filtration system that amplifies the taste of the sodas. Each carbonated beverage must have filtered water before it’s included in the soda machine. Another factor is the syrup ratio, which is higher at McDonald’s stores than at most fast-food chains. The ratio is even higher than most soda brands’ bottles, making for a richer soda flavor with every McDonald’s drink.
Though most people might regard the McDonald’s Sprite debate as lore, the company uses a few techniques to make soda taste better. If you have the McDonald’s app, spend one dollar however you like, and you’ll be able to obtain a free Sprite to assess the difference yourself.
