Viral McDonald's Pranksters Rewarded With Big Check
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PEARLAND, Texas (CBS Local) -– A couple of college students are getting paid $25,000 each after pulling off an epic prank at a local McDonald's.
Jevh Maravilla and Christian Toledo put up a fake marketing poster of themselves in the fast-food restaurant in Pearland back in July when the friends of Asian descent noticed there wasn't a lot of diversity on the walls.
The prank went viral and Ellen DeGeneres invited the University of Houston students to be on her show. On Monday, she surprised them with $25,000, courtesy of the fast-food chain, for their appearance in an upcoming marketing campaign as part of McDonald's commitment to diversity.
These kids put up a poster of themselves in a McDonald's, and nobody noticed for months. But I noticed. https://t.co/WAscG3bF0b
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) September 17, 2018
The duo snuck the poster into the restaurant and tacked it up when no one was looking.
51 days later, Maravilla posted three photos of the poster on Twitter and wrote, "I noticed there was a blank wall at McDonald's so I decided to make this fake poster of me and my friend. It's now been 51 days since I hung it up."
i noticed there was a blank wall at mcdonald's so i decided to make this fake poster of me and my friend. It's now been 51 days since i hung it up. pic.twitter.com/5OTf5aR4vm
— JΞVH M (@Jevholution) September 3, 2018
They got someone to snap a picture of them at school holding McDonald's food, edited it and got it printed.
They even found a McDonald's shirt at a thrift store and dressed up as employees.
With the help of some friends, they put the poster up on a wall at the restaurant without anyone noticing.
Maravilla shared how it all came together in a YouTube video.
McDonald's recently took the poster down because the building is being remodeled. They announced it will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House for a fundraiser.