McDonald’s Is Launching Its Biggest-Ever Global Campaign. The Secret Weapon Is a Paper Cup.
The Golden Arches are putting World Cup royalty on collectible cups to drive repeat traffic all summer long.
McDonald’s is betting you’ll want some World Cup on your cup. AdAge reports the franchise is rolling out its largest-ever global campaign, a World Cup promotion built around collectible cups featuring soccer legends like Beckham and Ronaldinho. The FIFA World Cup 26 Meal, available in 100-plus markets, pairs a Big Mac or Chicken McNuggets with one of nine cups featuring global stars, local picks like Christian Pulisic in the U.S., and yes, Grimace.
The strategy is classic collectible economics. Give people nine designs and a reason to come back for each one. The cups are inspired by McDonald’s Dream Team Cups from the 1990s, and a Happy Meal version adds 23 collectible Squishmallow plushies for the kids’ traffic play.
CMO Morgan Flatley told AdAge the goal is “bringing the feeling of the World Cup closer to more people,” not the stadium. Limited-edition collectibles tied to cultural moments tend to drive repeat visits without discounting. The cups don’t cost less, and customers keep coming back for more.
McDonald’s is betting you’ll want some World Cup on your cup. AdAge reports the franchise is rolling out its largest-ever global campaign, a World Cup promotion built around collectible cups featuring soccer legends like Beckham and Ronaldinho. The FIFA World Cup 26 Meal, available in 100-plus markets, pairs a Big Mac or Chicken McNuggets with one of nine cups featuring global stars, local picks like Christian Pulisic in the U.S., and yes, Grimace.
The strategy is classic collectible economics. Give people nine designs and a reason to come back for each one. The cups are inspired by McDonald’s Dream Team Cups from the 1990s, and a Happy Meal version adds 23 collectible Squishmallow plushies for the kids’ traffic play.
CMO Morgan Flatley told AdAge the goal is “bringing the feeling of the World Cup closer to more people,” not the stadium. Limited-edition collectibles tied to cultural moments tend to drive repeat visits without discounting. The cups don’t cost less, and customers keep coming back for more.
