Did McDonald’s Malaysia just launch its own K-pop boy group?

In conjunction with the return of McDonald's Malaysia’s 'Spicy Korean Burger' series, the brand may have pulled its best card yet, debuting its very own boy group, fronted by local Malaysian heartthrobs Meerqeen, Hael Husaini and Jang Han Byul, who are definitely here to light a fire in fans’ hearts.

Named “SKB” (for obvious reasons), the boy group performs an upbeat, head-bopping pop track, which McDonald’s Malaysia dubs its “MV K-Terhangat Mekdi” (‘Mekdi’s K-hottest music video’).

Just before Raya on 16 March, the brand teased the trio on social media, hinting that something special would drop on 18 March. In the comments, Malaysians quickly pieced it together, linking it to the Spicy Korean Burger relaunch and correctly guessing the silhouettes as Hael, Meerqeen and Han Byul.

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For those unfamiliar, Hael Husaini is a singer-songwriter known for Raya hits such as “Meriah Lain Macam” and “Bersyukur Seadanya”. Meerqeen, whose real name is Muhammad Shameer Shauqeen, is an actor, model and singer known for roles in Wantugo, Framed, and Harimau Malaya: The Untold Journey. Meanwhile, Australian-born Han Byul, a former K-pop idol, has built a name for himself in Malaysia after competing in season two of Big Stage.

The music video kicks off with a catchy mix of synths, electric guitar and beats, before launching into McDonald’s iconic “Ba da ba ba ba”, sung in harmony by the trio. The lyrics double as both a love song to the Spicy Korean Burger and a cheeky love letter to fans.

Its hook? The sound of spiciness, “Haah ssst haah ssst”, paired with a dance move mimicking that familiar mouth-fanning reaction when things get too spicy.

The lyrics carry on with: “Annyeonghaseyo let’s go, daging atau ayam pilih mana satu. Sos Korea membarakan jiwa, ban istimewa luar biasa, sekali rasa daebak! Pedasnya tak terkata. Spicy Korean Burger bila pedas, we sing it like this…Haah ssst haah ssst” ("Hey, let's go. Beef or chicken, which should I pick. Korean sauce that lights up the soul, a unique bun that's out of this world. Taste it once, amazing. It's spiciness is unmatched. When the Spicy Korean Burger is spicy, we sing it like... Haah ssst haah ssst").

And honestly, if this played in-store without context, you’d think it was a legit K-pop-style Malay track. It’s also a treat for fans of the trio, who get to see them come together as a full-fledged K-pop-style boy group.

Leaning further into the fan service, McDonald’s Malaysia also rolled out a series of SKB photocards, much like what K-pop fans collect from their favourite idols. These are available for free with every Spicy Korean Burger combo, with each member’s photocard released weekly.

Life-sized standees of Meerqeen, Hael and Han Byul have also been placed across selected outlets, giving fans the perfect photo op.

Chin Mei Lee, CMO of McDonald’s Malaysia, told A+M exclusively that the campaign came at the perfect time, as the highly requested burger return coincided with Raya. It also presented an opportunity to spotlight Malaysia’s very own “oppas”. “So far, the response has been overwhelming — and the soundtrack is great; it’s now one of my personal favourites, especially as a big fan of K-pop myself. It was a really fun project to work on with the team.”

She added that the trio has been featured across multiple touchpoints, from advertising and in-store placements to digital billboards.

The campaign doesn’t stop there. The trio also stars in a Raya special series, “Oppa Beraya”, which aired on TV3's YouTube and TV channels. The three-episode series follows Meerqeen, Hael and Han Byul as they “compete” for the attention of a girl named Sofea during Raya celebrations in their kampung.

Blending rom-com elements with Korean phrases, the story sees the trio fumble their way through, eventually coming together to win Sofea back by performing their SKB dance. Naturally, the Spicy Korean Burger makes multiple appearances throughout, seamlessly woven into the storyline.

Earlier this month, McDonald's Malaysia had also tapped into the power of music to remind consumers that its drive-thru lanes are not just for cars, but motorcyclists too, with its latest “Motor pun boleh” ("Motorbikes are welcomed too") campaign.

Fronted by local artists Alyph and SonaOne, the campaign builds on the familiarity of their track Pun Boleh, reworking it into a catchy anthem that reinforces the message: “Drive-thru aje lah, motor pun boleh" ("Just drive-thru, even with your motorbikes").

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