The golden arches are getting a pastel makeover for the holiday season.
Fast food giant McDonald’s and Web3-native brand Doodles revealed a collaboration Thursday, featuring custom cups that showcase the Ethereum NFT collection’s colorful, hand drawn style. On top of that, customers can unlock digital collectibles and content, as well as access co-branded physical merchandise.
Dubbed the “GM Spread Joy” campaign, the marketing initiative is being billed as an immersive experience that pays homage to the Crypto Twitter mantra. Available to customers in the U.S., the promotion can be accessed at participating stores among McDonald’s 13,500 restaurants.
drinking out of the McCafé x Doodles Holiday cups exclusively starting 11.18✨☕️ pic.twitter.com/nBdc8VroYl
— McDonald's (@McDonalds) November 14, 2024
The limited-edition cups, emblazoned with pinks and blues amid holiday-themed tableaus, allow customers to access a “pack ripping” experience, McDonald’s said in a press release.
Dovetailing with Doodles’ digital avatars, they contain accessories and apparel for Doodles characters, among other goodies, like access to music videos and Doodles’ animated series. In addition to the original Ethereum NFT collection, Doodles has launched an avatar creation “Stoodio” app on Ethereum layer-2 network Base, where the digital items can be used.
Outside the U.S., where NFT projects haven’t faced intense regulatory scrutiny, the burger chain has used NFTs to promote its purple icon Grimace and launched a metaverse game called My Happy Place. What’s more, McDonald’s tapped The Sandbox, an Ethereum-based metaverse game, to pay tribute to its chicken nuggets.
Doodles Will Migrate Avatar Creation 'Stoodio' to Ethereum Layer-2 Base
Doodles, an NFT-driven entertainment property, is making a move. On Monday, the project announced that it will migrate its “Stoodio” avatar customization platform to Ethereum layer-2 scaling network Base, departing the Flow blockchain in the process. The transition, set to take place in mid-July, aims to leverage Base's cheaper and faster transactions compared to the Ethereum mainnet. Base, which was developed by popular crypto exchange Coinbase, is gaining steam within the increasingly crowded...
McDonald’s collaboration with Doodles may represent its biggest step into the NFT space since its American division unveiled McRib-inspired NFTs in 2021. Effectively, McDonald’s was an early adopter of using digital assets as a way to reward customers and cultivate brand loyalty.
Earlier this year, Doodles teamed up with the sportswear powerhouse Adidas, introducing virtual swag packs that let buyers claim exclusive physical apparel. As Doodles’ Chief Brand Officer, some collectibles paid homage to a song created with musician Pharrell Williams.
McDonald's Just Launched Its Own Metaverse—And Grimace NFT Owners Are VIPs
McDonald's Singapore now has its own metaverse world called “My Happy Place,” offered through its official app in collaboration with Bandwagon Labs—and people who own official Grimace NFTs launched in 2023 get special perks in the digital locale. The 3D online environment allows users to play games like Build-A-Burger, envision future McDonald's restaurant designs, and participate in daily contests offering real-life food deals and prizes through the Wheel of Deals feature. My Happy Place runs o...
As part of its holiday promotion, McDonald’s customers can access a track produced by Williams called “Good Mornin,” sung by artist Marley Bleu. Williams, who once worked at McDonald’s, was inspired by internet culture and “viral ‘GM’ memes,” McDonald’s said.
Comprising 10,000 generative profile pictures (PFPs), Doodles features art by Scott “Burnt Toast” Martin. The collection is currently valued at 20,296 ETH ($64 million), according to CoinGecko, with the cheapest NFT from the collection listed for 2 ETH ($6,300) on secondary markets.
Known as the collection’s floor price, the figure climbed as high as 2.7 ETH ($8,500) earlier this week after McDonald’s teased the collaboration on Twitter (aka X).
Edited by Andrew Hayward