When you’ve grown up, it can be tough to enjoy the things you loved as a kid because they seem out of reach. Others may look strange if you show up to school with a supply of Flintstones vitamins, watch The Flintstones after school, or use a brilliantly colored Marvel Band-Aid. McDonald’s, though, has made it possible to relive some of those simpler times.
On September 27, McDonald’s stated that it would revamp the Happy Meal to appeal to an older demographic. The Cactus Plant Flea Market Box is the chain’s innovative new take on the experience. Cactus Plant Flea Market, a clothing and accessory brand beloved by Kanye West, Tyler, the Creator, and Pharrell, teamed up with McDonald’s for this unique collaboration, which features a box created in the label’s characteristic style and bearing both classic and new McDonald’s character faces.
McDonald’s claims that beginning on October 3 (or while supplies last), the box will be sold in restaurants, at drive-thrus, by delivery, and through the McDonald’s app. The company stated that the new Happy Meal for adults includes many of McDonald’s most popular menu items. The Big Mac and the 10-piece Chicken McNuggets meal come with fries and a drink of the customer’s choosing.
Every order of the chain’s new Happy Meal comes with one of four collectible figurines created by Cactus Plant Flea Market since a Happy Meal isn’t a Happy Meal without a gift inside. To celebrate, Mickey D’s is reviving some of its classic characters from years gone by. Customers can choose from three classic McDonald’s mascots—Grimace, the Hamburglar, Birdie, or Cactus Buddy—when they make their purchases.
Yes, it’s an exclamation point in the name of the brand-new plushie companion explicitly made for the Cactus Plant Flea Market Box. All four people experience double vision since each person has four eyes. McDonald’s USA chief marketing and customer experience officer Tariq Hassan explained, “We’re taking one of the most memorable McDonald’s experiences and physically repacking it in a new form that’s hyper-relevant for our adult consumers.”
Next week, he and the rest of us will be diving deeply into the exciting world of Cactus Plant Flea Market, and I can’t wait to give fans a unique piece of art and culture. The Big Mac and McNuggets are at the heart of this collaboration, and it’s just one more way we’re rekindling a new generation’s enthusiasm for our cuisine and the brand.
Fans who buy the Cactus Plant Flea Market Box using the chain’s app will also be put into sweepstakes for free swag. Weekly giveaways include bespoke Cactus Plant Flea Market x McDonald’s T-shirts, sweaters, and a chair designed to appear like Grimace. Seriously, who wouldn’t want that in their house? The day of Target’s deals is drawing near.
Here are some ways to put money aside in preparation for the occasion. Fans who want to enter without buying a box can visit a dedicated webpage that McDonald’s has put up until October 30 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Being a member of MyMcDonald’s Rewards is still necessary, and there is a daily entry restriction.
It’s easy to understand why the thought of a grown-up Happy Meal would be so exciting: nostalgia. Kelly Goldsmith, E. Bronson Ingram Professor of Marketing at Vanderbilt University, told Food TODAY, “McDonald’s, because it has been around for decades, can remind adult consumers of the ‘good old days via these adult Happy Meals.”
“By doing so, a compelling benefit of visiting their drive-thru as opposed to another’s is highlighted.” Since McDonald’s has been around for so long, much of its advertising, Goldsmith says, consists of “just reminding its customers that they exist.” She noted that while the fast food industry is experiencing rapid change, new competitors cannot capitalize on the sector’s nostalgic customer base.
However, if you do not enter the contest, you may purchase the items immediately on the McDonald’s x Cactus Plant Flea Market website, beginning at 11 a.m. ET on October 3. This set is available for a short time and only while supplies last.
