# McDonald's McRib

> A pork sandwich introduced in 1981 turned recurring returns into fan hunts and campaigns.

- Owner: McDonald's
- Kind: Food & drink
- Sector: Food & beverage
- Seed date: Jun 1981
- Milestone date: 2024-11-25
- Date basis: Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak. Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.
- Spread Score: 36 (Niche), v1.3
- Mechanics: Scarcity drop, Identity badge, Platform jump, Press loop, Controversy

## Summary

McDonald's introduced McRib in 1981. Fans built a locator and circulated videos as limited returns brought new campaigns. The 2024 sauce sell-out supplies a commercial milestone; an all-time attention peak is unverified.

## Timeline

- Jun 1981 — McDonald's (Retail) — McDonald's first commercial use of McRib was in June, according to its trademark record.
- 1981-11-30 — TIME (Press) — TIME reported that McDonald's was testing the McRib in 65 restaurants.
- Feb 2003 — The Simpsons (TV) — The Simpsons parodied the McRib and its following with the Ribwich.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/mcrib

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “McDonald's McRib.” Case HIS-01636. Spread Score v1.3: 36/100. Updated 2026-10-24. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-01636