McDonald’s Squishmallows Happy Meal will debut at participating U.S. restaurants beginning Dec. 26 and for a limited time. Customers can collect up to 12 Squishmallow characters with the purchase of a Happy Meal, including signature characters like Cam and Fifi, as well as McDonaldland characters like Grimace. There is also a surprise mystery character.
The company’s partnership with Squishmallows launched earlier this year in select global markets.
"We're all about connecting our fans to culture and Squishmallows are some of the hottest toys out there right now," Tariq Hassan, McDonald's USA chief marketing and customer experience officer, said in a statement. "This collaboration welcomes McDonald's and Squishmallow fans alike to enjoy this one-of-a-kind experience with the first McDonald's Squishmallows Squad."
Also, and for the first time, each character comes with a unique playlist courtesy of Universal Music Group. Customers can scan the QR code on the Happy Meal box to access each Squish's playlist, curated based on their personalities. During McDonald’s Investor Day event earlier this month, executives hinted at creating deeper experiences with customers, including through streaming platform partnerships.
That said, the Squishmallows partnership could drive plenty of engagement on its own. According to Circana and reported by the Washington Post, Squishmallows were the top-selling toys of 2022 in both the U.S. and Canada, and have generated over 11 billion impressions on TikTok. The plush toys have found favor among all age groups, and over 100 million of them were sold in 2022 alone, according to CNBC.
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