McRib

The McRib is a sandwich sold by the international fast-food restaurant chain McDonald's. It consists of a boneless pork patty, barbecue sauce, onions and pickles served on a 6 inch (15.2 cm) roll. The patty is precooked, frozen and later reheated.

The sandwich test-marketed very well in Nebraska and other Midwestern markets and was added to the restaurant's permanent menu throughout the United States in 1981. Sales were mediocre, and it was removed after several years, only to be brought back as a limited time offering.

When first introduced, packets of a special McRib barbecue sauce called "Blazing Hot Sauce" were available with the sandwich. This sauce was much hotter than the barbecue sauce on the prepared sandwich and was only available for a short time.

The McRib Jr. was available for a short time in the late 90's. This version replaced the sesame seed roll with a standard hamburger bun and was served with a smaller portion of the pork patty. This product was sold at a lower price than the standard McRib.

On November 1, 2005, McDonald's put out a press release stating that the McRib would be permanently removed from the menu following a "McRib Farewell Tour." This appears to have been a deceptive kickoff to a viral/stealth marketing campaign;^{[citation needed]} mcrib.com, a site registered to McDonald's, featured a petition to "Save the McRib," which was facetiously sponsored by the "Boneless Pig Farmers Association of America." So in a two-angled campaign, McDonald's was simultaneously conducting a McRib farewell tour and sponsoring a petition to "Save the McRib" to create buzz. On October 16, 2006, the "McRib Farewell Tour II" site appeared, confirming the campaign was a marketing ploy. The petition to "Save the McRib" still existed as well as the "BPFAA" site.

McDonald's brought the McRib back in the United States once again in October 2007, beginning the third farewell tour. It was reintroduced for a fourth time in late October 2008, across the United States, Hong Kong and Japan, with a promotional website featuring music sponsored by a "McRib DJ".

The McRib has remained on sale as a regular item in Germany.