ABOUT

For decades, anime has continually surged in popularity among young millennials and Gen Z. Throughout this time, across 20+ titles and genres, McDonald’s has appeared as different variants in order to skirt copyright infringement, with the most common variant flipping the Golden Arches to turn McDonald's into WcDonald’s.

McDonald’s couldn’t help but take notice, and through engaging with anime culture, it discovered that anime fans are true brand fans with a unique fan truth: they don’t just admire anime worlds, they want to live in them.

In making WcDonald’s a reality, our core principle was immersive realism, promising a 360º experience that allowed fans to eat, play and be wildly entertained inside the world’s only WcDonald’s restaurant. To authentically honor anime culture, we built the experience around The Dining Table, a cherished anime motif celebrating shared stories and connections over food.

From our original characters, to our manga-inspired packaging and New Savory Chili WcDonald’s Sauce, every detail was designed to transport fans deeper into the WcDonald’s universe. The experience took guests on a multisensory, four-act journey through interactive anime narratives created by our highly respected partner storytellers and creators. Each act was paired with WcDonald’s menu items, establishing food as the hero and creating personal connections around the dining table.

On announcement day, OpenTable reservations for WcDonald’s sold out in less than 30 minutes. Over 1,200 fans, media, and influential guests attended the activation week, during which 1,800 meals were served and 2,100 coupons were distributed, driving traffic to local McDonald’s restaurants.

For those without a seat reservation, an interactive vending machine distributed over 2,000 exclusive giveaways, while a walk-thru WcDonald’s experience offered the opportunity for additional fans to take part in McDonald’s and anime history.

The result? 90% of attendees rated the experience 5/5. Over 300 media placements. Over 4 BILLION impressions.