McDonald’s wants a spot in your kitchen cupboards.
The Chicago-based fast-food giant on Wednesday introduced its latest promotion, a new Collector’s Meal that will enable customers to collect a half-dozen cups that tap into their feelings of nostalgia for the brand and its characters.
The cups will feature designs highlighting some of the chain’s most popular marketing tie-ins, such as Barbie & Hot Wheels and Beanie Babies, along with Hello Kitty and Peanuts and Shrek, Jurassic Park and Minions.
There is a cup featuring McDonald’s collectibles over the years such as the Grimace Glass and Boo Buckets and another one highlighting its collaborations with Coca-Cola.
The cups spotlight past promotions such as the Cowpoke McNugget Buddy from 1988 or the Hello Kitty Crew Keychain from 2000.
Customers can get the cups all day long when they buy a Collector’s Meal. The breakfast meal features a Sausage McMuffin with Egg, Hash Brown and coffee. The lunch and dinner meal features a choice of a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets or Big Mac along with fries and a drink. The meals are available starting on Tuesday.
The cups “commemorate some of our most unforgettable designs and global collaborations over the years, allowing longtime fans to relive treasured moments and helping a new generation make their own lasting memories,” Morgan Flatley, global chief marketing officer and head of new business ventures for McDonald’s, said in a statement.
In the process, McDonald’s is also creating an augmented reality experience on Snapchat and is planning events to connect collectors.
McDonald’s is hosting the “ultimate beachside pool party,” the Collector’s Club Poolside Paradise at Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles on Aug. 17. Customers in New York can use their cups to get free roller coaster rides that same day at Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park on Coney Island.
For the chain, the meal represents something of a break from its push on value as it continues to find ways to tap into customer nostalgia for the brand. McDonald’s has in the past used adult-focused Happy Meals and other efforts to generate sales by reminding diners of their younger days.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.