McDonald’s is making a nostalgia play by providing adult customers with Happy Meals, complete with toys.
The fast food chain debuted its “Cactus Plant Flea Market Box” as a limited-time collaboration with the fashion brand Cactus Plant, though customers have just dubbed this new menu addition “Adult Happy Meals.”
tell me ur fave and i’ll tell u mine pic.twitter.com/msuxetDvws
— McDonald's (@McDonalds) September 27, 2022
They come in a larger box than a child’s Happy Meal, per the Washington Post, and include a 10-piece chicken nugget or a Big Mac and an order of medium fries along with a medium drink. Besides the signature box, the thing that makes these meals extra special is the addition of one of four collectible figurines of old-school McDonald’s mascots — Grimace, the Hamburglar, Birdie, plus a new character named Cactus Buddy as a nod to the collaboration.
The publication notes that among a plethora of failed experiments, the Happy Meal remains a true McDonald’s achievement that’s been a massive success for four decades. These targeted kids’ meals offer parents incentives to visit the fast food franchise frequently to collect all the toys and offer children “happiness” with their meals. Though they’ve come under fire for promoting unhealthy food, the product has remained a menu staple.
Now the multi-billion dollar company is hoping the adults in line will sign up for a bit of nostalgia and order Happy Meals for themselves.
“We’re taking one of the most nostalgic McDonald’s experiences and literally repackaging it in a new way that’s hyper-relevant for our adult fans,” McDonald’s USA chief marketing and customer experience officer Tariq Hassan said in a press release.
“Everyone remembers their first Happy Meal® as a kid… and the can’t-sit-still feeling as you dug in to see what was inside,” the document said. “That little red box could turn a regular Tuesday into the best. day. ever. And now, we’re reimagining that experience in a whole new way — this time, for adults.”
Besides the collectible toys, there’s also merchandise such as hoodies, sweatshirts, and t-shirts for sale. If you order an adult Happy Meal through the app, you automatically get entered into a merch giveaway. The packaged meals are being offered at the drive-thru, for delivery, or on the McDonald’s app for a limited time.