After the success of its first adult Happy Meal, McDonald’s is introducing a second one, this time with DJ and streetwear style creator Kerwin Frost. Frost's meal will also include an updated version of the McNugget Buddies, as the chain looks to continue its nostalgic marketing streak by bringing back the classic characters that debuted in the 1980s.
The Kerwin Frost Box includes either a 10-piece chicken McNuggets or Big Mac, fries, soft drink and a McNugget Buddy toy. There are six McNugget Buddies total: Kerwin Frost, Don Bernice, Uptown Moe, Waffutu, Brrrick and Darla. The limited-time meal will be available starting Dec. 11.
The promotion comes about a year after McDonald’s partnered with streetwear brand Cactus Plant Flea Market on adult Happy Meals that included toys of Grimace, Birdie and the Hamburglar in the style of the streetwear brand. The meal, backed by strategy and marketing from Wieden+Kennedy New York proved to be a winner, selling out quickly and the toys fetching steep prices on secondary markets such as eBay.
W+K is also involved in the Frost meal. Commercials for the new meal will air on Dec. 11.
“With last year’s Cactus Plant Flea Market Box, we unlocked the childlike joy of opening a Happy Meal box for fans of all ages,” McDonald’s U.S. Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer Tariq Hassan said in a statement. “Fans told us they wanted to celebrate that quintessential childhood experience again.”
According to McDonald’s, Kerwin is a fan of the McNugget Buddies with the chain stating that he “found his McNugget Buddy collection to be a source of creative inspiration” while growing up in Harlem.
“I’ve loved McDonald’s since I was a kid. I even had my own Ronald McDonald doll that I brought to picture day at school, and it was my dream to collect all the McNugget Buddies,” Frost said in a statement. “Now, coming up with my own special set of Buddies – each one representing different aspects of self-expression – it's unreal, a dream come true.”
Frost has previously worked with Adidas, Beats by Dre and 7-Eleven.
Celebrities and memories
While it’s only the second adult Happy Meal, the offering continues a long line of celebrity-driven meal plays by the chain, which began leaning into the strategy in 2020 with the Travis Scott meal, following it with other “Famous Meals” spotlighting stars such as BTS, Saweetie and J Balvin and celebrity couple Cardi B and Offset.
The meals, like the Happy Meals, are part of a strategy to drive sales around a new combination of items the chain already sells. And the Frost Box presents an easy way to revive some older McDonald’s IP for a younger generation. McDonald’s other recent nostalgia plays include a dedicated meal to Grimace that was meant to evoke memories of people celebrating birthdays at its restaurants.
The McNugget Buddies were first introduced in 1988 as part of a limited-time Happy Meal featuring 10 different McNugget Buddy collectibles: First Class McNugget, Drummer McNugget, Sarge McNugget, Sparky McNugget, Rocker McNugget, Volley McNugget, Boomerang McNugget, Cowpoke McNugget, Snorkel McNugget and Corny McNugget.
McDonald’s brought back the cowboy, fireman and mail carrier McNuggets in 2019 as part of the “Surprise Happy Meal” that featured retro toys.
For the new promotion, the chain gave the characters their own Instagram handle—@mcnuggetbudds.
