McDonald’s Celebrates the Return of the McRib With Vintage-Styled Ad Based on a Christmas Classic

McDonald’s is celebrating the return of the McRib sandwich for the holiday season — with a twist.

For a limited time starting Dec. 3, the McRib will return to participating restaurants just in time to satisfy busy shoppers’ holiday cravings. Additionally, McDonald’s is selling A Whole Lotta McRib Sauce, perfect for gifting the McDonald’s lover in your life.

This half-gallon jug of the iconic McRib sauce is ideal for adding some zip to holiday recipes. It’s the ultimate stocking stuffer for McRib lovers.

“The McRib is more than a sandwich — it’s a part of the culture, it’s a legend, it’s an event,” said Tariq Hassan, chief marketing and customer experience officer at McDonald’s, in a press release. “McRib SZN is a holiday unto itself, so we wanted to embrace that spirit and give fans an even bigger way to celebrate this year with A Whole Lotta McRib Sauce.”

A Whole Lotta McRib Sauce is available online for $19.99 only at www.wholelottamcribsauce.com. Jugs are available for purchase starting Nov. 25 at 10 a.m. ET, while supplies last.

And if you can’t get your hands on this limited drop, you can still grab the sauciest sandwich of the year via the McDonald’s app, in-restaurant, and the drive-thru at participating restaurants starting Dec. 3.

McRib Season, the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

To honor the most festive season of the year, McDonald’s created an animated video clip celebrating the McRib sandwich. It resembles the vintage Christmas cartoon, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Many characters that appear in the original 1964 classic are recreated in this cartoon.

A horse-drawn carriage pulls a rather large McRib sandwich into a town decorated for the holiday season. The demeanor of the town changes from sad to happy as soon as the sandwich arrives.

As the McDonald’s commercial ends, Santa Claus is seen flying through the air on his sleigh. He totes a large McRib sandwich in the sky, followed by a McRib banner.

In the commercial, McDonald’s debuts an accompanying holiday jingle titled, “It Could Only Mean One Thing (McRib is Here).” This McRib-inspired anthem celebrates the return of the beloved sandwich and helps fans kickstart the season.

The McRib first debuted at McDonald’s in 1981. The sandwich consists of a rib-shaped boneless pork patty, barbecue sauce, onions, and pickle slices served on a 5.5-inch roll.