McDonald’s will offer Happy Meals for adults in October, multiple outlets reported on Thursday.
In a joint deal with fashion brand Cactus Plant Flea Market (CPFM), McDonald’s is set to release a meal geared towards adults beginning this Monday which will be available through Oct. 30.
The adult-themed Happy Meal, officially marketed as the Cactus Plant Flea Market Meal Box, will feature limited-edition box designs along with four toys modeled after classic McDonald’s characters Birdie, Grimace, Hamburglar and an original character from CPFM Cactus Buddy. McDonald’s flagship mascot, Ronald McDonald, appeared to be left out of the campaign.
Customers purchasing the meal through McDonald’s app will be entered to win weekly prizes featuring different limited edition McDonald’s themed CPFM merchandise, according to the company’s website.
“remember u are never too old for a happy meal,” the fast food brand tweeted last Friday, seemingly foreshadowing the announcement. In a Facebook post, McDonald’s also teased the announcement saying, “One day you ordered a Happy Meal for the last time and you didn’t even know it.”
McDonald's will have adult Happy Meals this October https://t.co/mLQm9jm4Km
— NPR Business (@nprbusiness) September 29, 2022
“We’re taking one of the most nostalgic McDonald’s experiences and literally repackaging it in a new way that’s hyper-relevant for our adult fans,” said McDonald’s USA Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer Tariq Hassan in a company statement. “I can’t wait to give fans a unique piece of art and culture as we dive headfirst into the dynamic world of Cactus Plant Flea Market together next week. With menu favorites like the Big Mac and McNuggets at the center of this collab, this is another way we’re reigniting a new generation’s love for our food and the brand.”
CPFM is a fashion brand that creates original streetwear featuring dyes and lettering, some of which include their character Cactus Buddy.
In 2020 the fast food company teamed up with rapper Travis Scott to release the “Travis Scott Meal,” which consisted of the rapper’s favorite menu item, a Quarter Pounder combo with Sprite.
McDonald’s collaboration with Scott appeared to resemble former 90s collaborations from the company featuring souvenir collectibles based on movies released at the time. However, the campaign did not feature a Scott-themed toy to compliment the meal, Vulture reported.
Shortly after McDonald’s campaign with Scott the company released a “J Balvin Meal” featuring the reggaeton artist’s favorite order from the chain: a Big Mac, medium fries with ketchup and an Oreo McFlurry. McDonald’s released another celebrity-inspired meal campaign in 2021 with South Korean boy band the Bangtan Sonyeondan (BTS), also referred to as the Bangtan Boys. The “BTS Meal” consisted of the menu’s 10-piece Chicken McNugget combo, with limited-time sauces curated by BTS and a Coke. Similar to the “Travis Scott Meal,” the “BTS Meal” and “J Balvin Meal” did not feature celebrity-themed toys along with the order.
Celebrity collaboration promotions reportedly help fast food chains which run on razor thin profit margins, CNN Business reported.
