McDonald's Flips Iconic Logo in Epic Anime Campaign

For 30+ years, anime has bootlegged McDonald’s as 'WcDonald’s' - flipping the logo to avoid licensing fees. Instead of getting mad, McDonald’s realised how awesome it was to be the QSR of anime fans’ choice. So they gave them the stage.

Their idea was simple: Turn McDonald’s into WcDonald’s for a month - building on the world fans had already imagined - in a deeply authentic, immersive way.

They created four global anime shorts, each with a unique genre and director. They worked with revered Japanese animation house Studio Pierrot to create the weekly episodes exploring action, romance, mecha, and fantasy. While each episode stood alone, together they formed a larger narrative around the new WcDonald’s sauce.

They collaborated with renowned manga artist Acky Bright to transform in-restaurant materials into a real-life WcDonald’s. The to-go bag featured manga stories from Acky, complete with character line-ups and a QR code linking to weekly digital manga. The WcDonald’s Sauce was wrapped in holographic packaging, like anime trading cards. The McNuggets clamshell became 'WcNuggets,' designed like an episode title card, and the iconic fry box logo was changed - a first for McDonald’s advertising. Even register receipt tape became a canvas for manga.

Intentionally focusing on packaging as the primary touchpoint mirrored how manga often precedes anime, like books setting the stage for a film adaptation. It also reflected their understanding of anime fans' desire to live in what they watch. They knew giving fans 'more' would be a mark of success. So, they gave them as many tangible items as possible to deepen their engagement with WcDonald's.

Recognising the importance of authenticity, especially when engaging with a dedicated subculture, their teams spent 4+ months in Japan working alongside 300+ artists. Their team was composed of anime fans from various ethnicities and gender identities. This deliberate approach not only paid homage to the spirit of anime but cultivated inclusivity and authenticity in their work.

Results outperformed expectations: Anime fans flocked to McDonald’s for the limited-edition WcDonald’s. Traffic to restaurants surged, with demand for the WcDonald’s sauce exceeding projections by double in one week and boosting Chicken McNuggets sales +8.8%.