I tried McDonald's McNugget Caviar promotion. It's a smart brand move and made my go-to order feel fancy.

• McDonald's new McNugget Caviar promotion ships free caviar to nugget fans while supplies last.
• I got a sample and was surprised at how well the salty sturgeon eggs pair with the crispy nuggets.
• The limited-time offer is a winning combination of unique menu innovation and great marketing.

Hear me out: McNuggets and caviar slaps — and it may be just the kind of delightful combination that McDonald's needs right now.

McDonald's launched a pre-Valentine's Day promotion on Tuesday, allowing nugget fans across the country to sign up for free delivery of a 1-oz tin of baerii sturgeon caviar from Paramount Caviar, eight ounces of crème fraîche, and a $25 voucher to buy McNuggets to pair with it, while supplies last.

I got my hands on a kit ahead of the launch and have to say, I didn't expect to like the combination as much as I did.

I've been a nugget connoisseur since my preschool days, and McDonald's McNuggets top the charts as my favorite from all fast food brands. They're an essential road trip snack, and I enjoy an order at least once a month as a pick-me-up when I need a nostalgic emotional boost.

My usual preference for dipping my 10-piece is alternating between sweet & sour sauce and barbecue; however, on this special occasion, the pairing of smooth crème fraîche and salty popping caviar really elevated my dining experience.

Sipping sparkling wine (not included) and delicately topping my nuggets with the mother-of-pearl spoon included in the kit, rather than my usual raccoonish dipping behavior, took it to the next level.

Nubia Murray, senior director of brand communications at McDonald's, said the promotion was a way to make caviar, a typically exclusive luxury ingredient made from salt-cured, unfertilized fish eggs, "playful and accessible" by offering it for free.

McNugget Caviar was inspired by a dish served at the August 2025 US Open that spawned viral copycats online. COQODAQ, a Korean fusion fried chicken restaurant based in New York, offered a dish at the tennis championships: six chicken nuggets topped with caviar, crème fraîche, and chives, priced at $100.

McDonald's fans with expensive tastes recreated the dish for social media videos.

"We're grounded in what we call 'fan truths' — the emotional connections people already have with our food and our brand," Murray said. "When we see something fans genuinely love, sometimes in a playful or unexpected way, we bring that insight to life in a way only McDonald's can. This was a fun, culturally relevant moment that says to our fans, 'we see you, let's have a little fun.'"

The McNugget Caviar promotion is just the latest in McDonald's recent made-for-a-viral-moment marketing campaigns, including its dill pickle-themed Grinch meal from the holiday season. And the caviar giveaway builds on that momentum at an important time for the brand.

In early 2025, McDonald's experienced a significant same-store sales slump, with its first-quarter US sales dropping 3.6% — the company's worst performance since 2020 — driven by lower- and middle-income consumers cutting back on fast food due to inflation and other economic concerns.

The chain countered by expanding its $5 meal offerings and doubling down on targeted marketing to regain price-sensitive diners. It has improved its same-store sales performance in subsequent quarters, but foot traffic in the quick-service segment is still down across the board.

Analysts told Business Insider earlier this month that price cuts and discounted meal deals have become structural for quick-service restaurants as they navigate an increasingly value-focused environment. However, constant deals are a double-edged sword because consumers get used to discounts and don't come back to pay full price when the economy improves.

"Value is important, but you look at when McDonald's, Burger King, etc., have done well — it's really when they have great menu innovation or great marketing that they really see customers respond," TD Cowen analyst Andrew Charles said.

In that way, the McNugget Caviar promotion lands in a sweet spot: it's free, yet offers value beyond its price point by capitalizing on social media buzz and offering a unique combination that McDonald's diners may not typically enjoy.

McNuggets with caviar won't fix inflation, and it won't turn McDonald's into a luxury brand. But, for a moment, it lets a $5-meal chain wink at a $100 dish — and invites fans to play along.

In an era when value menus are table stakes, maybe the real flex isn't being cheaper, but being in on the joke.