CHICAGO, Feb. 21, 2024 — For years, anime fans have been making McDonald’s-inspired “WcDonald’s” restaurants a part of anime’s most memorable movies and shows.
Now, in collaboration with some of the biggest names in anime, WcDonald’s will make the move from fiction to real life.
Beginning Feb. 26 in more than 30 global markets, we’re building on our fans’ vision and imagination by unleashing the WcDonald’s universe in our restaurants and beyond, with a new sauce, manga-inspired packaging, episodic shorts and so much more.
“Anime is a huge part of today’s culture, and we love that our fans have been inviting us into the conversation for years,” said Tariq Hassan, Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer at McDonald’s USA. “The WcDonald’s universe is a reflection of what fans have created. It honors their vision and celebrates their creativity, while authentically bringing it to life in our restaurants for the first time ever.”
A Sauce that Packs a Punch
Fans can animate their taste buds with our new Savory Chili WcDonald’s Sauce, available for a limited time. The unique combination of ginger, garlic and soy with a slight heat from chili flakes packs an energetic blast of flavor in every bite. Mirroring the bold, dynamic spirit of your favorite anime heroes, the sauce pairs perfectly with an order of 10-piece “WcNuggets” (our fan-favorite Chicken McNuggets) or on the side of any of your go-to menu items.
Manga Packaging and More from Acky Bright
We’ve teamed up with iconic Japanese manga artist/illustrator Acky Bright to design custom WcDonald’s packaging that will take you deeper into the world of WcDonald’s with every meal. For a limited time, fans will receive manga-inspired packaging featuring WcDonald’s Crew characters, sketched by Acky himself.
Fans can also scan the code on the packaging to access weekly digital manga drops that star a full cast of WcDonald’s Customers and Crew, including Hashirune, a WcDonald’s regular, Mr. Bev, the Crew jokester, WcDizer 3000, WcDonald’s very own mecha, and many more.
“I had a great time partnering with McDonald’s to help make WcDonald’s a reality for manga fans who have a genuine love for the brand,” said Acky Bright. “From the details of the diverse Crew characters to the manga plot itself, I loved being able to use my artwork to bring to life the dynamic, vibrant world of WcDonald’s for people around the world.”
The First-Ever Official WcDonald’s Anime
McDonald’s has partnered with legendary animation house studio pierrot to produce the first official WcDonald’s anime. Four episodic shorts will take fans into the flavorful world of WcDonald’s, where a story about the WcDonald’s Sauce and WcNuggets unfold each week.
Every Monday, from Feb. 26 until March 18, a new short will drop in tandem with new manga on WcDonalds.com, or by scanning the code on the WcDonald’s bag. The shorts will honor four of anime’s biggest subgenres – Action, Romance, Mecha and Fantasy.
- The Race to WcDonald’s (drops Feb. 26): A rivalry strong enough to withstand the test of time as our two heroes embark on an epic race to WcDonald’s.
- Love from Across the Booth (drops March 4): Our two protagonists discover the WcDonald’s Sauce and WcNuggets aren’t the only perfect pairing.
- WcNuggets Space Frontier 3000 (drops March 11): A team of WcDonald’s pilots must protect the last WcNugget against an ominous force.
- The Wisdom of the Sauce (drops March 18): Three women are transported to a distant land to unravel the mystery surrounding the elusive sauce before it’s gone forever.
An Immersive Dining Experience at WcDonald’s
Taking inspiration from the isekai anime subgenre, we’re transporting fans to the first IRL WcDonald’s on March 9-10. The WcDonald’s Immersive Dining Experience will be a multi-sensory dining experience in Los Angeles, CA – a genre-bending fusion of entertainment and food. Guests will be transported into the WcDonald’s universe through 360 projection mapping and immersive tabletop projections inspired by the four WcDonald’s anime episodic shorts – all while enjoying a set menu of WcDonald’s items. Fans can reserve their spot exclusively on OpenTable starting Feb. 28 by searching “WcDonald’s Immersive Dining Experience” on the OpenTable app or website.
A Celebration of Anime Fan Art
WcDonald’s wouldn’t be what it is if it weren’t for the creativity of our fans. So, we’re recognizing three up-and-coming anime artists who have created WcDonald’s-themed artwork with grants to help fund their upcoming projects and a celebration at their local McDonald’s. Additionally, the three artists will receive a one-on-one mentoring session with top manga artist/illustrator, Acky Bright.
On Feb. 26, get ready for an anime-fueled adventure that starts with, “Welcome to WcDonald’s, may I take your order?”
About McDonald’s USA
McDonald’s USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to millions of customers every day. Ninety-five percent of McDonald’s approximately 13,500 U.S. restaurants are owned and operated by independent business owners. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, and follow us on social: X, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.
