McDonald’s is launching Happy Meals on Nov. 26 featuring two Pet Simulator toys. The second toy is gift wrapped to encourage giving this holiday season. Kids will also have the chance to make the 18 different Pet Simulator toys their own using sticker sheets included within each Happy Meal.
“We hope this special Happy Meal inspires kids to share during this season of giving. Sharing is such a big part of the McDonald’s ethos — whether it's sharing your fries, your McNuggets or a McFlurry — and now we’re giving our youngest fans the opportunity to do that with their Happy Meal, too,” vice president of U.S. marketing, brand, content and culture Jennifer “JJ” Healan said in a statement. "Whether they choose to gift their extra toy to a family member, make a friend smile, or show kindness to a neighbor, it’s all about helping kids feel the joy of giving this holiday season.”
Pet Simulator launched on Roblox in 2018 and is now a series of games created by BIG Games where players can collect coins and gems to unlock powerful pets. It has generated 11.6 billion plays across all games to date. The Pet Simulator Happy Meals will be available from Nov. 26 through Dec. 16 at participating locations while supplies last.
Doodles partnership unlocks digital collectibles
McDonald’s also announced today a partnership with entertainment company Doodles to launch its “GM Spread Joy” holiday campaign. Starting today, customers who purchase any Doodles McCafé coffee at participating McDonald's restaurants will have the opportunity to unlock exclusive digital collectibles for a limited time.
The packs will feature a mix of McDonald’s and Doodle’s digital wearables, ensuring every participant receives an item, whether physical, digital, or both. Certain lucky customers will have the chance to redeem tokens for McDonald’s physical products. All packs include valuable digital collectibles, which can be used to style Doodles avatars in the “Stoodio.”
The “GM Spread Joy” campaign extends beyond the coffee cups, and also includes:
- Surprise Digital Collectibles: Every cup unlocks a chance to win exclusive McDonald's x Doodles digital wearables.
- Pack Ripping Experience
- Exclusive Merch Drop
- Holiday Soundtrack: "Good Mornin’," a special track by rising star Marley Bleu, produced by Pharrell Williams inspired by internet culture and viral "GM" memes. The official music video is expected to be released in early December.
- Spread the Love: 10% of e-commerce proceeds will go to a charity
Fans can join the #GMSpreadJoy social media challenge on TikTok and Instagram, encouraging customers to share how they spread joy with their McCafé coffee. Participants also have the chance to see their content featured on a Times Square billboard, and winners will be selected by Nov. 28.
In a statement, McDonald’s chief marketing officer Tariq Hassan said such a seasonal campaign is part of the chain’s sharpened focus on coffee.
“It may not be the first thing you think about when you talk about McDonald’s, but coffee is an integral part of the McDonald’s experience. We’ve relentlessly worked to make it taste better year over year, investing in new technology and educated crew teams on coffee culture in an effort to deliver a more consistent, fresher cup of coffee every time,” he said. “This year, we’re making our coffee even more special by giving our seasonal packaging a fresh and unexpected collaboration with Doodles, the perfect partner as so much of their content revolves around mornings and coffee moments.”
Hassan said Doodles’ fans have been asking for a McDonald’s collaboration and the chain considers the company an “agent of change in the culture landscape.”
“They span beyond digital assets – an entertainment brand in itself with a fearless community we cannot wait to interact with and more importantly, bring to more people across the U.S.,” he said.
Participation in the Doodles campaign requires the purchase of any size McCafé Coffee at participating McDonald's locations across the U.S.
Doodles was founded in 2021 as a next-generation art and entertainment company focused on immersive storytelling, live and digital experiences, and lifestyle content. Its previous brand collaborations include Adidas, Crocs, and G-SHOCK.
These two campaigns seem to fit a broader marketing strategy from McDonald’s. During the company’s Investor Day last year, global chief marketing officer and head of new business ventures Morgan Flatley said one of the company’s competitive advantages is its physical presence and its digital ecosystem, which presents opportunities to drive engagement.
“Our position as one of the leading consumer-facing companies in the world unlocks possibilities, not only to bring in more customers more often but to engage customers in a McDonald’s universe that builds unique experiences to build fandom and grows frequency,” she said, pointing to examples such as offering subscriptions to video streaming apps for loyalty members or commissioning a book series for Happy Meal promotions.
“We continue to visualize different ways to engage customers. The possibilities are endless.”
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]
