‘Yu-Gi-Oh!,’ Hello Kitty and Friends Team up with McDonald’s for Global Happy Meal Promotion

Yu-Gi-Oh! and Sanrio’s Hello Kitty have announced a worldwide collaboration with McDonald’s on a Happy Meal promotion that features characters from both brands as collectible Happy Meal toys as well as on its packaging and menus.

The “Yu-Gi-Oh!” x Hello Kitty and Friends Happy Meal toys will see Sanrio’s characters dressed as Yu-Gi-Oh! monsters. The crossover promotion will feature 10 new Happy Meal toys, including:

“‘Yu-Gi-Oh!’ and Hello Kitty and Friends are each a global cultural phenomenon in their own right, with fans spanning every corner of the globe across generations,” says Jennifer Coleman, vice president, licensing and marketing, Konami Cross Media NY. “We look forward to working with McDonald's on this unique collaboration. This Happy Meal promotion will create a must have for Anime fans of all ages.”

“We are bringing two beloved brands together for this special promotion and offering fans something unique and unexpected,” says Jill Koch, senior vice president, marketing and brand management, Sanrio. “We hope to surprise and delight our fans around the world with these limited-edition collectibles.”

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Kicking off this spring in Europe, the McDonald’s “Yu-Gi-Oh!" x Hello Kitty and Friends Happy Meal promotion will be offered in 55 countries worldwide, beginning with Belgium, Hungary, Netherlands, Spain and Greece, before expanding to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Mexico and the Caribbean, as well as a number of Asian markets. The nearly year-long promotion peaks with the introduction of the “Yu-Gi-Oh!” x Hello Kitty and Friends Happy Meal throughout the United States, including Puerto Rico, this summer.

Last year, License Global told the history of the McDonald's Happy Meal, from its beginnings in Guatemala to the advent of the adult Happy Meal and how McDonald’s is the go-to partner for some of the biggest IPs in the world.