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An official announcement of McDonald’s and Pierrot Studio
On 23rd Feb, McDonald’s officially announced plans to give their brand a manga-inspired makeover, by collaborating with Pierrot Studio, a well-known name in the anime world. The fast-food giant is bringing the beloved “WcDonald’s” concept to life in over 30 global markets. This marketing campaign by McDonald’s will be running from February 26th to March 18th, 2024. Customers will be able to enjoy a new sauce and manga-inspired packaging, along with episodic shorts by teaming with Japanese manga artist Acky Bright, and other exciting features.
However, the teaser’s release sparked controversy surrounding McDonald’s anime, some fans seemed upset, and some called for a boycott. While the situation is certainly curious, it raises important questions about the ethics of corporate branding in the entertainment industry. It remains to be seen how this debate will play out.
Whats up with the teaser and secrecy?
On 20th Feb, McDonald’s, the world-renowned fast-food chain, made a surprising announcement on their official X account (previously known as Twitter). In their announcement, they revealed that they had teamed up with Studio Pierrot, the popular anime studio behind hit series such as Yu Yu Hakusho, Great Teacher Onizuka, Kingdom, Tokyo Ghoul, Akatsuki no Yona, Naruto, and Bleach for a new project.
The announcement was accompanied by a teaser, which gave fans a glimpse of what they could expect from this collaboration. The anime project in question has been shrouded in secrecy, with no further details or even a title revealed, only the date “2.26.24” appears in the end. Fans were eagerly speculating on what the project could be about and were full of mysteries.
What is WcDonald’s?
This fictional version of the popular fast-food chain McDonald’s has appeared in over 100 different anime films and shows. The concept of WcDonald’s, with its flipped first letter, actually originates from a 1983 episode of “Cat’s Eye,” a popular manga and anime franchise. The episode features a heist at a WcDonald’s restaurant, inspiring the creation of this fictional fast-food chain parody.
Over the years, WcDonald’s has made appearances in many different anime series, including, Sally the Witch, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, InuYasha, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Lucky Star, K-On! and many more. The chain typically serves food items that are similar to those found at McDonald’s but with creative twists and puns.
WcDonald’s campaign
This campaign involved several exciting elements such as limited-edition packaging, anime shorts, manga chapters, and special menu items.
McDonald’s restaurants in select markets offered their regular menu items in WcDonald ‘s-themed packaging which will be featuring characters and designs by Acky Bright.
Additionally, four short anime episodes will be released online, each focusing on a different anime genre like action, romance, mecha, and fantasy. A short online manga series featuring WcDonald’s characters will also be released in collaboration with Studio Pierrot.
Some markets even going to offer special menu items inspired by the WcDonald’s theme, like the Savory Chili WcDonald’s Sauce and 10-piece WcNuggets meal.
Upcoming anime
WcDonald’s has announced the release of four anime shorts, each one celebrating a different subgenre of anime. Starting from February 26th until March 18th, one short will be released every Monday, on WcDonalds.com or via the code on the WcDonald’s bag.
· The first short, The Race to WcDonald’s, will be released on February 26th.
· The second short, On March 4th, Love from Across the Booth, will be released.
· The third short, WcNuggets Space Frontier 3000, will drop on March 11th.
· Finally, the fourth short, on March 18th, The Wisdom of the Sauce, will be released.
The controversy
There is a lot of buzz surrounding the upcoming anime collaboration among fans, but there are also a few of those who are not thrilled about anything related to McDonald’s. Some of them are even urging others to boycott the anime and refrain from engaging with anything the company “schemes”.
In the midst of the ongoing conflict and escalating hostilities in Gaza, there have been reports that McDonald’s was providing free meals to the Israel Defense Force, which has prompted widespread criticisism from customers around the world. Many have called for a boycott of the fast-food chain, alleging it of support Israel. However, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski has reiterated the company’s commitment to non-violence, and blamed misinformation for the controversy. Meanwhile, the announcement of a collaboration between McDonald’s and Studio Pierrot on Twitter has further fueled the calls for a boycott.
Some tweets quotes;
The crossfire of anime and political debates, and the recent track record of Studio Pierrot have caused some fans to express disappointment about the upcoming McDonald’s anime. While Studio Pierrot is renowned for its work on beloved anime titles such as Yu Yu Hakusho, Great Teacher Onizuka, Naruto, Bleach, Kingdom, Tokyo Ghoul, Akatsuki no Yona, and so on, some fans have noticed that the studio has failed to meet some recent commitments on their other projects.
A special Naruto anime that was originally scheduled to release in 2023 has been postponed indefinitely, which has left some fans disappointed and upset.
In addition to that, some fans were unhappy about the animation quality of Bleach TYBW part 2, which didn’t reach to the expectation as compared to its predecessor. There are also rumors about a delay in the third instalment.
Also, there have been no updates about the sequel of Boruto anime or Black Clover Anime ever since it last aired in March 2021.
As a result, some fans have expressed their disapproval about Studio Pierrot prioritizing a McDonald’s commercial over their other projects, especially given the studio’s recent track record.
Regarding the commercialism involved in the McDonald’s anime production, some fans worry that the involvement of a major corporation like McDonald’s in anime production could lead to a compromise in storytelling and a prioritization of marketing over artistic integrity.
The announcement of the McDonald’s anime has stirred up controversy and sparked political debates. However, despite the mixed reactions, many fans continue to look forward to the upcoming anime with excitement. Some fans see it as a fun way to enjoy their favorite fast-food chain, while others are curious to see how the anime will approach the topic. Regardless of the debates surrounding it, the McDonald’s anime has generated a lot of buzz and anticipation among anime fans.
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