McDonald's to launch four new items inspired by classic 1980s era

With more than one generation associating food from McDonald's (MCD) with certain childhood memories, the chain has leaned into those nostalgic sentiments by launching menus inspired either by past marketing campaigns or items served in other decades.

The new McDonaldland Meal launched in stores this August was envisioned as an adult Happy Meal, with the toy replaced by a collectible tin featuring classic characters such as Grimace, Ronald McDonald, Hamburglar, and Mayor McCheese.

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The meal also included a Mt. McDonaldland Shake: a bright blue, berry-flavored milkshake with pink whipped cream that a generation of millennials will recognize as resembling the volcano in the McDonaldland universe marketed during their childhood.

Once featured prominently in advertisements and the stores themselves, the universe of McDonaldland characters largely faded away when the chain reworked its marketing strategy to focus on an adult audience in the 2000s.

“Now, for the first time in more than 20 years, Ronald McDonald, Grimace, Birdie, Hamburglar, Mayor McCheese and the Fry Friends are officially taking the trip out of the group chat,” the fast-food chain said of the seasonal meal that is set to disappear from menus at some point in the early fall.

McDonald's launches Mulberry Cloud Marshmallow McFlurry, purple ice cream, and toffee pie

McDonald's foray into nostalgia began when the chain first brought back the beloved purple monster Grimace in a berry-flavored purple shake and campaign that ultimately ended up going viral in 2023.

Same-day store sales shot up nearly 12% between April and June of that year. The viral phenomenon and inexplicable interest in a retro character that two generations of McDonald's visitors may have never even encountered has now become known in the industry as the “Grimace Effect.”

Interest in the lovable purple monster also started to spread globally. In China, McDonald's has now launched an entire Grimace menu of purple items: a grape-flavored soft-serve ice cream, Toffee and Cream Cheese Pie with a purple crust, a Mulberry Cloud Marshmallow McFlurry, and a Sprite drink with sweet-and-sour raspberry syrup.

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The new menu was first noticed by fast-food industry watchdog Snackolator and was immediately picked up by followers, who would love to see these types of items come to the U.S.

That said, these localized McDonald's menus very rarely travel outside of their origin country beyond individual items making very brief appearances on promotional menus highlighting different global flavors.

That said, the Chinese menu indicates that interest in nostalgic characters has extended far beyond the U.S. Other chains have also made use of this public obsession with menus from the past by bringing back actual dishes that it once served but eventually retired.

What was dubbed the “Grimace Effect” stemmed from a viral 2023 campaign.

Image source: McDonald's

Fast-food chains keep trying to woo you with nostalgia: Will it work?

Yum! Brands (YUM) brand Taco Bell is reportedly bringing back five items served in the 2000s as part of its returning Decades menu, while Restaurant Brands International (QSR) chain KFC also added 1990s-era potato wedges and Hot & Spicy chicken wings to its permanent menus this August.

The “HERE DAMN” social media post of a single potato wedge that the chain put out on X to announce the menu item's return was viewed more than 65 million times, as older customers reminisced about eating the wedges and younger ones got caught up in the excitement.