McDonald’s changes its name to WCDONALD’S as it announces wild new rebrand that will see it flipping its iconic golden arches UPSIDE DOWN
McDonald’s is shaking up the fast food world with a funky rebrand of its iconic golden arches, inspired by a popular anime trend.
The move will see the global burger giant turn its ‘M’ upside down and adopt the name WcDonald’s – a nod to a fictional fast food chain that regularly appears in anime TV shows and films.
Although the anime-inspired rebrand is only temporary, there has been a vocal response from manga lovers around the world – with many taking to social media to express their excitement about the official arrival of a real WcDonald’s.
And it’s not just the chain’s branding that’s getting an overhaul in honor of the new anime tribute, which was officially unveiled today.
McDonald’s is turning its iconic M upside down at WcDonald’s and anime fans are happy with the announcement
The brand pays tribute to anime illustrators who created the fictional version of the golden arches called WcDonald’s in many films and shows within the genre
In addition to the logo and name changes, McDonald’s – or WcDonald’s – has also launched a new sauce, Savory Chili WcDonald’s Sauce, which comes complete in manga-themed packaging.
The Savory Chili WcDonald’s Sauce, which will be available for a limited time, contains the ingredients ginger, garlic, soy and chili flakes and the food chain recommends pairing it with the 10-piece WcNuggests.
And to celebrate the temporary relaunch in true style, the chain is also debuting a series of four short manga, in collaboration with Japanese manga artist Acky Bright.
Acky has created an illustrated cast of characters, including a regular named Hashirune, a prankster Mr. Bev and a robot WcDizer 3000.
Acky shared in a McDonald’s press release: ‘I’ve had a great time working with McDonald’s to make WcDonald’s a reality for manga fans who truly love the brand.
“From the details of the various Crew characters to the manga plot itself, I loved being able to use my artwork to bring the dynamic, vibrant world of WcDonald’s to life for people around the world.”
McDonald’s has also collaborated with iconic animation house Studio Pierrot, which created the infamous anime series Naruto, to bring the artwork to life in its weekly short-form episodes.
McDonald’s has also partnered with iconic animation house Studio Pierrot, which created the infamous anime series Naruto, to bring the artwork to life
Every Monday, starting February 26 and ending March 18, foodies can scan the code on their WcDonald’s bag to watch the latest episode
The first episode is titled The Race to WcDonalds, the second is Love from Across the Booth, the third is WcNuggets Space Frontier 3000 and finally is The Wisdom of the Sauce.
Tariq Hassan, McDonald’s Chief Marketing Officer, said: “Anime is a huge part of today’s culture and we love that our fans have been inviting us into the conversation for years.”
Every Monday, starting on February 26 and ending on March 18, foodies can scan the code on their WcDonald’s bag to watch the latest episode, which covers the subgenres of action, romance, mecha and fantasy.
The first episode is titled The Race to WcDonalds, the second is Love from Across the Booth, the third is WcNuggets Space Frontier 3000 and finally is The Wisdom of the Sauce.
When it comes to the inspiration behind the golden arches choosing the world of anime as their muse, chief marketing and customer experience officer Tariq Hassan shared in the press release: ‘Anime is a huge part of today’s culture and we love that our fans have been inviting us to the conversation for years.
“The WcDonald universe is a reflection of what fans have created.
“It honors their vision and celebrates their creativity, while bringing it authentically to life in our restaurants for the first time ever.”
McDonald’s released an anime teaser on social media showing the new cast members tucking into fries and chicken nuggets, with the caption: “Everything is turned upside down…”
In the clip, the overlapping text reads: ‘Studio Pierrot: From the makers of the world’s most iconic animes…and the makers of the world’s most iconic fries…a new world is born…2.26.24.’
The video ends with the McDonald’s electrical sign malfunctioning.
The teaser received more than 32,100 likes and 834 comments, with many foodies enthusiastic about the collaboration.
One person wrote: ‘I don’t know what this is but I’m in.’
Another person added, “As someone who works at McDonald’s AND watches anime, I’m actually excited bro wtf.”
The teaser received more than 32,100 likes and 834 comments, with many foodies enthusiastic about the collaboration. One person wrote: ‘I don’t know what this is but I’m in’
A third commenter wrote: “McDonald’s Isekai wasn’t on my 2024 bingo card, but I’ll definitely take it.”
“McAnime,” someone added enthusiastically.
‘This is hilarious. McDonald’s is going the anime and manga way. WCDonald’s,” another person commented.
One person wrote: ‘I’m going to eat some fries while I watch this anime.’
McDonald’s will also create a ‘WcDonald’s Immersive Dining Experience’ from March 9 to 10, and foodies can literally step into a multi-sensory version of the new brand in LA.
Interested guests can make a reservation via Openable starting February 28.
McDonald’s is also celebrating three anime artists who created WcDonald’s illustrations by providing them with grants for their future projects.
They also receive an individual mentoring session with Acky Bright himself.
WCDonald’s will be available in more than 30 global markets.