5 Facts About The History Behind McDonald's Collector's Meal Cups
When Mashed got invited to a sneak preview of McDonald's brand new "Collector's Meals" which hit stores nationwide on Tuesday, August 13th, we were awash with questions. Why now? Is Mcdonald's celebrating a milestone achievement? Will there be a new menu item to accompany the release? It turns out that the novel product behind the latest promotion isn't food. It's a line of limited edition Collector's Meal Cups. The original artwork on each cup pays homage to some of the greatest hits in McDonald's vast well of archival memorabilia.
As for the occasion, McDonald's archivist and merch expert Mike Bullington says it's always a good time for a retrospective. "Everybody has a McDonald's story," he told us. And Bullington would know as he's a 20-year archivist for the brand, and could rattle off the historical facts behind just about every Happy Meal toy, brand collaboration, and product promotion in the patchwork of McDonald's rich pop culture heritage. The designs you'll see on the new McDonald's Collector's Meal Cups tell that story.
We took a trip down memory lane by way of McDonald's in Times Square, to meet with Mike Bullington and get the details on the new campaign. He gave us the scoop on what's in a McDonald's Collector's Meal, gave us a look at the six exclusive Collector's Cups, and even brought along the O.G. toys and merchandise that inspired them. Here's what we learned.
Fans were polled to determine which characters would be on the cups
Nostalgia lovers unite! McDonald's wasn't about to embark on this retrospective endeavor without getting some input from the fans. Market researchers used social media and other means of data collection to find out which Happy Meal characters and other throwback merch the public would be most interested to see on Collector's Meal Cups. McDonald's knows better than to leave Hello Kitty or TY Beanie Babies out of the lineup, but deeper cuts like the Grimace mug from 1976 and a 1983 glass featuring Charles Schulz's Peanuts gang are also represented.
Something else McDonald's understands is that by drawing from its lengthy history of character collectibles, customers of all ages would want to snag a cup or two. Offering the cups with a Happy Meal would prevent many full-grown Mickey D's fans from ordering what they actually wanted. That's why the new keepsake cups are included with the purchase of a Collector's Meal. The Collector's Meal comes with a choice of Sausage McMuffin with Egg (during breakfast hours only), Big Mac, or 10 Piece Chicken McNuggets. What you don't get to choose is the cup you get. Every Collector's Meal Cup is mystery-wrapped in opaque packaging — so you won't know which one is yours until you tear the wrapper open.
The artwork on each cup is like a mini time capsule
If you don't get the Collector's Meal Cup you wanted on the first try, don't get too bummed out. Unlike a lot of mystery-wrapped trinkets on the market these days, McDonald's Collector's Meal Cups are not limited to just one character. All six cups in the Collector's series are based on centralized themes, but the designs depict more than one promotion. This comprehensive approach to the cup's artwork allows each one to reach a broader scope of McDonald's fans. Plus, the montage effect of the drawings makes it feel like you're perusing through a miniature time capsule simply by rotating the cup in your hands.
Wishing it were Hello Kitty's adorable dot eyes meeting your gaze instead of the Jeep-menacing jaws of a perturbed T-Rex? Fret not, if adventures in "Jurassic Park" were never really your jam, a gaggle of jet-setting Minions are living it up just centimeters away alongside characters from "Shrek." Collector's Meal Cups are packed with colorful mashups of characters and scenery, but there's some history slipped in too. The year that each character or collectible was featured at McDonald's is incorporated into all of the drawings, so customers get to learn a little something as they admire the art.
Not all the old-school images come from Happy Meal toys
Mike Bullington noted that the archival imagery reimagined on McDonald's Collector Meal Cups spans from the 1970s to the 2010s. Happy Meal toys, classic merch, and even other cups were the muses behind the bold images. One Collector's Cup is an ode to McDonald's decades-long partnership with Coca-Cola. On it, oversized Coca-Cola polar bears lounge in a utopia of fluffy clouds and pastel-colored trees, while a soda fountain flows freely and the streets are lined with the various McDonlad's-issued Coca-Cola products from years gone by.
Bullington served as consultant to the artists who contributed their craft to the Collector's Meal Cups. For graphic artist Oscar Bastidas, the McDonald's collaboration signifies a full circle moment. Bastidas was a McDonald's crew member in the late '90s, a job that helped fund his growing interest in design. Bastidas created the artwork for three Collector's Meal Cup themes: Beanie Babies, Barbie/Hot Wheels, and McDonald's. He says his artistic style, characterized by intricate detail and a lack of negative space, was a good match for the look McDonald's wanted to achieve.
The McDonald's themed Collector's Cup holds particular significance for Bastidas. He says he played with '80s era Happy Meal toys like the Chicken McNugget Buddies as a little boy. The Big Mac windup toy he got at age seven is something he still has today. For Bastidas, including this toy in his Collector's Cup design was an amazing full-circle moment.
The Collector's Meal Cups are part of a never before seen menu launch
McDonald's certainly knows its way around a full-scale menu launch, but the approach behind its Collector's Meal is uncharted territory for the brand. Sure, the Collector's Meal isn't offering anything new to eat, but it is the first time McDonald's has run a promotional meal that evolves according to the chain's daily kitchen operations. In other words, no matter what time of day you place your order, the Collector's Meal will always be available.
The all-day promotion comes with a simple set of parameters. If you stop by during breakfast hours and want to order a Collector's Meal (so you can get your hands on that cup!), the meal option during that time will be a Sausage McMuffin with Egg, a drink, and an order of hash browns. As with McDonald's Value Meal, you'll have your choice of a small, medium, or large portion. McDonald's breakfast hours typically cease between 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. (depending on the day and location you visit).
After breakfast, the Collector's Meal menu choices change. Whether you drop in for lunch or in the late-night hours, make sure you come hungry. For the rest of the business day, a Collector's Meal Cup can be yours with either a Big Mac or 10 piece Chicken McNuggets Collector's Meal. Both options include a soft drink and an order of fries, and again, you'll have your pick of small, medium, or large.
To preserve its history, don't put your cup in the dishwasher
Whether you snag one or all six Mcdonald's Collector's Meal Cups, we know you'll want your new swag to last. In order to make that happen do not, I repeat, do not toss your Collector's Meal Cup in the dishwasher. The commemorative and intricate artworks on these cups are best preserved with a gentle hand wash. Remember, the Collector's Meal Cups are part of a limited menu item, which will only be available while supplies last.
Sure, in a perfect world we would want these Collector's Meal Cups to be made of glass (a glass we would still hand-wash mind you), however, Mcdonald's chose to make these colorful cups out of tritan plastic. An adjacent line of Collector's Meal Cups in clear embossed glass will also be in circulation — but the market for these is more selective. The glass Collector's Meal Cups are inspired by the same selection of vintage McDonald's characters and promotions, but without the vibrant colors. For the majority of U.S. fans, the plastic Collector's Meal Cups with elaborate illustrations are the ones to look out for.