Travis Scott Might Not Have Another Fast Food Promotion For A While
Back in 2020, Travis Scott made waves by promoting a signature meal at McDonald's. According to National Post, the rapper boosted sales of the brand's Quarter Pounder With Cheese by offering his name to a unique meal featuring said burger that came topped with extra bacon and lettuce, fries with barbecue sauce, and a large Sprite. Scott allegedly made $20 million through the deal and even made it onto Forbes Magazine's 30 under 30 as a result of the promotion, per Eater.
Since then, brands have come to Scott for product placement help, but that all might come to an end. After the disaster at the rapper's Astroworld music festival that killed eight concertgoers and injured many more, Scott's sponsors like General Mills, Anheuser-Busch, and McDonald's may not renew sponsorship contracts in the near future (via Quartz). The brands linked to Scott have yet to address their partnerships in the wake of the disaster, but some companies, like Epic Games, have started to pull any form of Scott's likeness from their products. The silence and decisions to start cutting ties comes from one key business tactic.
Why brands want to distance themselves from Travis Scott
According to Quartz, when a spokesperson or brand affiliate creates damaging press, companies have to act fast. "Sponsors love it when their celebs show up in the news, unless it's for the absolutely wrong reason," Eden Gillott, the president of Gillott Communications told Quartz. "If a celebrity's reputation gets called into question, sponsors will often sever ties quickly before the brand gets called to reassess their entire lineup of spokespeople." Following the devastation of the Astroworld festival, the concert promoter's stocks dropped by 10%, while brands not affiliated with the event may feel the need to distance themself from the rapper, despite not having a hand in the disaster itself.
"If 'the face' of your company does something that doesn't align with your brand's values and you don't speak out, it looks like you condone the behavior," Gillott continued. Only time can tell what Scott's future looks like, but if the predictions of experts come to fruition, the rapper might not see any high profile food sponsorships come his way anytime soon and can kiss any chance of hyping up a new McDonald's burger goodbye.