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 sneaked the poster into the restaurant and tacked it up when no one was looking.
Fifty-one 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.