Anime fans have long seen the famous Golden Arches of McDonald’s flipped upside down in their favorite animated shows and movies. Now, what was once a tactic to avoid licensing and copyright issues is becoming a reality in McDonald’s restaurants.
McDonald’s has announced the official launch of WcDonald’s, a real-life version of the fast-food chain inspired by anime. This new campaign will bring the WcDonald’s universe to life in their restaurants and beyond, unleashing the creativity and vision of their fans.
The restaurant chain is also partnering with Studio Pierrot, a legendary animation house known for popular animes like Naruto, Bleach, and Tokyo Ghoul, to produce the first official WcDonald’s anime. The anime will feature four animated shorts that tell the story of WcDonald’s Sauce and WcNuggets.
WcDonald’s will be launched globally in over 30 markets, with no specific locations mentioned. Additionally, McDonald’s will be offering an exclusive dining experience called the WcDonald’s Immersive Dining Experience in Los Angeles, California. This dining experience will be influenced by the isekai, or other-world, anime subgenre, and will feature 360-degree projection mappings and tabletop projections taken from the WcDonald’s anime episodes. Reservations will be required to participate in this unique experience.
The WcDonald’s limited-edition menu will feature a special Savory Chili WcDonald’s Sauce, designed by Japanese manga artist Acky Bright. The sauce is described as a unique combination of ginger, garlic, and soy with a slight heat from chili flakes. The packaging will feature characters from the anime shorts and will include a code that diners can scan to access weekly digital manga releases featuring a full cast of WcDonald’s Customers and Crew.
The WcDonald’s campaign is set to launch on February 26, 2024, with the WcDonald’s Immersive Dining Experience scheduled for March 9 and 10, 2024. Fans of anime and McDonald’s can look forward to this unique and exciting collaboration between the fast-food giant and the world of Japanese animation.
