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McDonald’s is leaning into its anime alter ego with the launch of “WcDonald’s” menu items at restaurants in 30 markets starting next Monday. The move is a nod to fans of Japanese animation, who have paid tribute to the global fast food franchise by turning the company’s iconic golden arches logo upside down in various TV shows and movies.
“Anime is a huge part of today’s culture, and we love that our fans have been inviting us into the conversation for years,” McDonald’s USA chief marketing and customer experience officer Tariq Hassan said in a statement.
Launching Feb. 26, the menu includes a new WcDonald’s savory chili sauce and 10-piece WcNuggets, both with package designs from manga artist Acky Bright. Fans who scan the codes on the packaging can link to new digital manga featuring Acky’s fictional WcDonald’s characters Hashirune, Mr. Bev and WcDizer 3000.
“The WcDonald’s universe is a reflection of what fans have created,” Hassan said. “It honors their vision and celebrates their creativity, while authentically bringing it to life in our restaurants for the first time ever.”
The items will be available at McDonald’s in 30 markets starting Feb. 26.
Los Angeles will also be the site of a WcDonald’s Immersive Dining Experience that will include tabletop projections of four episodic anime shorts McDonald’s created in partnership with studio pierrot. Open March 9 and 10, reservations for the immersive experience will be available through OpenTable starting Feb. 28.
The four episodic anime shorts will be released every Monday from Feb. 26 to March 18.
Navkiran Dhaliwal is a seasoned content writer with 10+ years of experience. When she's not writing, she can be found cooking up a storm or spending time with her dog, Rain.