McDonald’s newest Happy Meal collaboration is with the upcoming Minecraft Movie. But this one doesn’t ignore its potential older fans.
The fast-food giant is releasing a wide-ranging collaboration with the upcoming Minecraft Movie featuring both a Minecraft Movie Happy Meal for the kids and a Minecraft Movie Meal for people who prefer something a little beefier than a cheeseburger in their meals. The meals will be available April 1.
The Minecraft Movie Meal features a choice of a Big Mac or a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, Medium Fries and a drink with special packaging pixelated in the style of the Minecraft game. It also features one of six collectibles, including a Big Mac Crystal, Birdie Wings, Fry Helmet, Grimace Egg, Soda Potion and a Zombie Hamburglar.
It also features a new “Nether Flame Sauce,” a limited-edition Nuggets sauce inspired by The Nether, a “hell-like” dimension in the Minecraft game.
McDonald’s in the past couple of years has gained traction with adult consumers by tapping into their nostalgia for Happy Meals with more adult-oriented meals featuring collectibles. This is the first time the company has introduced such a meal at the same time as a Happy Meal in the same collaboration.
The Minecraft Movie makes as much sense for this as anything else.
Minecraft was developed by the Swedish game maker Mojang and features an infinite, three-dimensional world players can explore and build structures and machines using tools and materials they mine themselves. There are also game modes with hostile mobs and creatures such as zombies—or “creepers.”
It is one of the most popular games in history. Minecraft was introduced in 2011, meaning a lot of its early users are well into adulthood by now. It has over 200 million active users and by 2023 had sold more than 300 million copies of the game. More than a third of its players are over 22, including 15% who are 30 to 65.
The Minecraft Movie is set to be released on April 4 and features Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Danielle Brooks, Emma Myers and Sebastian Hansen.
The Minecraft Movie Happy Meal will feature one of 12 figurines or toys inspired by the movie. Each meal comes with a code that can be used to play a digital game on the website happymeal.com. Customers who buy the adult meal can get a code to get a free McDonald’s add-on pack for Minecraft.
McDonald’s already has something of a presence in Minecraft as it is. There are tutorials available instructing players how to build a McDonald’s in their own Minecraft world. Of course, players can build just about any restaurant brand they like, such as Burger King or IHOP.
“When approaching any partnership, we look for the authentic role our brand can play in it,” Jennifer Healan, McDonald’s VP of U.S. marketing, brand, content and culture, said in a statement. “McDonald’s fans had already created a presence in the Minecraft game long before the opportunity to partner with the new film.”
For McDonald’s, the dual meals set the stage for some non-value marketing in a year in which consumers have been shifting to lower-priced items. Fast-food brands have struggled with weak traffic this year as lower-income consumers cut back on dining.
But chains have been able to get consumers interested, at least for a while, in their marketing efforts. McDonald’s rival Wendy’s in October generated strong sales thanks to a partnership with Nickelodeon’s Spongebob Squarepants, featuring the Krabby Patty Kollab burger. McDonald’s itself generated strong sales with a Chicken Big Mac.
The company is hoping for similar success with Minecraft.
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