As the anime world becomes bigger across the globe, fast food chains are recognizing the benefits of teaming up with some of the medium’s biggest franchises. McDonald’s created its own anime universe earlier this year in its “WcDonald’s” campaign and recently announced that its restaurants will be teaming up with the Hoyoverse video game, Genshin Impact. Genshin is a game that clearly has an anime aesthetic and a new anime adaptation is in the works. Recently, Burger King has teamed up with My Hero Academia in France to push some new food items and merch, and the “King” has taken a shot at McDonald’s recent anime campaign.
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McDonald’s specifically has teamed up with several major anime franchises recently. On top of the recent Genshin Impact collaboration, the restaurants have collaborated with the likes of Jujutsu Kaisen, Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokemon, One Piece, and more. While Burger King’s recent My Hero Academia collaboration might only be in France, the anime crossover may make its way to North America should it prove to be a success.
McDonald’s Vs. Burger King
In a new social media post, Burger King “threw shade” at McDonald’s, stating that “My Hero Academia better” than Genshin Impact. While the video game has yet to unveil its anime adaptation that will be brought to life by Demon Slayer’s Ufotable down the road, it would be an interesting debate to see which franchise has cultivated a more passionate fanbase.
If you want to learn more about the McDonald’s/Genshin Impact campaign which is currently available until September 29th, here’s how the fast food chain breaks down the new meal that fuses the two properties, “For a limited time only, unlock Genshin Impact rewards including an exclusive Wind Glider and Custom Namecard when you order the Genshin Impact Deluxe McCrispy Meal in the app. Remember, opt-in to email before purchase. The Genshin Impact Deluxe McCrispy Meal starts with your party leader—a crispy, juicy, tender chicken fillet sandwich with shredded lettuce, Roma tomatoes and mayo. Plus, you get medium World Famous Fries®, a medium soft drink and a limited-edition dessert made with 100% American-grown apples and a lattice crust, baked to perfection and sprinkled with sugar. Order yours today from our full menu in the app for McDelivery® or pickup.^ There are 1,350 calories in the Genshin Impact Deluxe McCrispy Meal and a medium Coca-Cola® soft drink.”
The WcDonald’s Campaign
Creating your own anime universe was something that McDonald’s did that proved their love of all things anime. Earlier this year, we here at ComicBook.com had the chance to talk with anime artist, Acky Bright, about the creation of the handful of anime characters in the WcDonald’s world, “I was aware that this campaign would be global and that many people all over the world would look at these characters, so it wasn’t just a domestic audience. I really wanted to pay attention to how diverse, cultural, and international aspects could be placed into all the characters so that anyone from any background could find their favorite character.”
Bright then took the chance to recognize the importance of the McDonald’s anime campaign, thrilled about the increasing popularity of anime around the world, “I go to Anime Expo and anime conventions quite often. I really feel the heat has been hotter every year, but nevertheless, I feel that the golden age is about to arrive. It’s not there yet, but in America, there are a lot of people who haven’t seen manga or anime. Doing this kind of campaign with McDonald’s, I am expecting that anime and manga will be seen by more people, which might make them fans in the future. In that sense, this campaign is very meaningful.”
