FEATURE: QSRs open up a family dining gateway

Brand owners are cooking up new kids meal programs with fast-food chains to turn hungry customers into loyal fans.
October 23, 2024

Think back to when you were a kid and your parents would take you out to eat at your favorite fast-food restaurant. Just stepping through the front doors was like entering a different world filled with colorful mascot characters and delicious food—plus you got to take home a new toy based on whatever family feature film was playing in theaters at the time. For many adults, these experiences created a powerful sense of nostalgia that has made them lifelong patrons of their favorite QSR (quick-service restaurant) chains.

Fast-forward to today, QSR deals are still an invaluable tool for building brand awareness with kids. And with so many properties fighting for market share, companies are relying more than ever on their global reach and the strength of a well-developed kids meal program to make meaningful impressions during influential family moments like meal times.

The global QSR industry generated more than US$894 billion in revenue last year, according to a report published in August by research firm Fortune Business Insights. But what makes this figure even more impressive is that the industry itself has been growing at a steady rate of 8.96% since 2019, thanks largely to the rapid growth of digital food ordering services like Uber Eats, DoorDash and SkipTheDishes. And Fortune is forecasting that this growth will continue until at least 2032 as consumers continue to increase the amount they spend on dining out.

The golden arches

McDonald’s is revered as one of the top-performing QSRs worldwide, and it’s not hard to see why. The American fast-food chain operates more than 40,000 restaurants worldwide and claims to serve as many as 69 million customers each day.

Last year alone, McDonald’s generated US$25.49 billion in revenue, up 9.97% from US$23.18 billion in 2022. And one tool that was instrumental to achieving this growth was the company’s 50-yearlong logistics partner HAVI and its subsidiary tms (formerly known as The Marketing Store), which manages all of McDonald’s Happy Meal marketing campaigns and promotions.

Michael Edelstein, VP of brand partnerships at tms, has spent the past 12 years positioned as the first point of contact for major studios looking to translate their entertainment franchises into new Happy Meal programs.

The iconic kids meal has been a staple for McDonald’s since 1979, and tms is always looking for new brands to feature in the program and help modernize its premium offerings (including toys, books and games) in order to drive kids and families to the QSR’s many locations, says Edelstein. “Across the landscape, the core goal of Happy Meal is to reach kids & family audiences and, much like McDonald’s itself, to be at the center of what’s popular in today’s culture.”

With this in mind, tms has helped McDonald’s serve up several recent licensed Happy Meal deals targeting a global multi-generational audience, with partners including Warner Bros. Discovery (MultiVersus), Universal Pictures (Despicable Me 4) and even Crocs footwear.

When Edelstein evaluates potential licenses on behalf of McDonald’s, some of the elements he looks for are exclusivity, global potential and engaging new ideas for Happy Meal offerings. “We want to be the favorite place for kids to go. Whatever partner we’re working with at that time, the offering needs to be relevant to kids and incorporate both a physical and digital element, because we want to deliver a memorable experience for them.”

Happy deal, happy meal

In one of this year’s more memorable QSR deals, Konami Cross Media NY and Sanrio collaborated on the first-ever co-branded Happy Meal between iconic trading card game Yu-Gi-Oh! and the Hello Kitty lifestyle brand. This campaign kicked off in March with a set of 10 collectible plush toys and a mobile game featuring Hello Kitty characters dressing up as Yu-Gi-Oh! monsters including Dark Magician, Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Exodia.

Since launching eight months ago, this crossover Happy Meal has spread worldwide, making initial stops in Europe, Australia and Canada and then landing in the US this fall. But it took nearly a decade to come together, according to Jennifer Coleman, Konami’s VP of marketing and licensing.

“Yu-Gi-Oh! was in a different place in the market when I first came on board in 2012,” says Coleman. “The TCG has always been so strong for us, and we have an incredibly loyal fan base, but the property had migrated away from being viewed as a kids brand, and we wanted to appeal to Gen Alpha with something new.” From the outset, her goal was to use the McDonald’s platform and reach to expand Yu-Gi-Oh!’s audience.

Coleman adds that the crossover with Sanrio was not originally part of the pitch, and what made McDonald’s ultimately decide to pursue a Yu-Gi-Oh! Happy Meal was that the QSR wanted to make new licensed toys and games based on an already established anime franchise.

“Anime was booming throughout the pandemic, and it created an opportunity for us to be culturally relevant to the McDonald’s audience,” she says. “After we locked down the deal in 2022, we began the two-year process of figuring out what we wanted to build together with tms.”

Florida-based toyco Jazwares capitalized on a huge cultural and retail boom for plush toys to score a Happy Meal deal for its flagship Squishmallows IP. Brand and marketing EVP Gerhard Runken says Jazwares also signed its deal in 2022, for a campaign in 70-plus markets around the world.

Jazwares’ first foray into McDonald’s Happy Meal territory includes partnering with Universal Music to create special playlists for each of its Squishmallow characters.

Jazwares had been exploring a new QSR deal for several years, but wanted to take its time and evaluate a wide range of potential partners, explains Runken. “A lot of it comes down to whether the QSR aligns with our DNA and [doesn’t] disenchant our fans or threaten our authenticity as a brand,” he says. “We never want to be perceived as label-slapping or doing something formulaic; we want partners who share our creative vision and provide meaningful opportunities.”

Landing at the Golden Arches, Jazwares got to work with tms on creating 12 new Squishmallows for the campaign, developing unique packaging, and signing off on all of the marketing assets, which spanned retail posters, inserts and activity sheets. To help power up the Happy Meal, Jazwares also joined forces with Universal Music Group to source and create curated music playlists for each of the collectible characters as an extra digital element.

One thing that helped accelerate the Happy Meal’s development was sitting down with tms and McDonald’s during the beginning phases of the collaboration to identify any restrictions or guardrails the companies might clash on, adds Runken.

“It’s important to remember that when you have two global brands—each with their own set of guidelines—the primary mission becomes being respectful of each other’s DNA so you can create something ground-breaking and memorable,” says Runken.

Local delicacies 

ZAG’s flagship franchise Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir has enjoyed several kids meal campaigns with McDonald’s and Burger King since the brand debuted in 2015. And all hands at Miraculous Corp (the company’s new joint-venture with Mediawan) are on deck to boost the IP’s presence worldwide in the QSR and food & beverage categories.

One component of this strategy is to target smaller QSR chains that have built up a strong reputation with consumers in their local territories. Miraculous Corp put this plan into practice in May by signing its first kids meal deal with Herfy, one of the largest QSR chains operating in the Middle East, with more than 380 restaurants.

Herfy is an ideal partner for the Miraculous brand for several reasons, says COO Julian Jacob. It has a solid reputation for providing budget-friendly meals and serving high-quality menu items, and it also has great market penetration in Saudia Arabia, Turkey, Kuwait and Bangladesh.

This Miraculous campaign ran throughout July and featured many of the elements pioneered by McDonald’s, including unique packaging, branded tray liners and a set of five collectible toys. Herfy also added a digital component to the campaign, leveraging AR technology to let kids use a smartphone to transform the restaurant around them into Paris and see their favorite characters from the series in that setting.

“Creating an engaging and on-trend experience for kids is essential,” says Jacob. “This ensures they have a fantastic time and are excited to share their experiences with their friends, generating buzz and more foot traffic to the restaurant.”

He adds that Miraculous Corp will follow up on this campaign later in Q4 when it announces a new QSR campaign with an as-yet unnamed partner in Italy. “Children around the globe have responded extremely well to our QSRs—they love the fun and engaging experiences we create that not only bring joy, but also foster a sense of connection and loyalty to the Miraculous brand.”

This story was originally published in Kidscreen‘s Q4 magazine issue. 

About The Author

Search

Menu

Brand Menu

casibom 760jojobetCasibom GirişDeneme BonusucasibomCasibomMeritking GirişBets10holiganbet girişmarsbahis giriş