Dive Brief:

• McDonald’s has teamed with anime series “Jujutsu Kaisen” for the launch of its new Special Grade Garlic Sauce, per a press release. 
• The Special Grade Garlic Sauce, a McDonald’s app exclusive inspired by the Black Garlic Sauce from McDonald’s Japan, will feature eight collectible lid designs that showcase fan-favorite characters from the anime series. The sauce will be available starting July 9.
• Each purchase of the sauce also unlocks a 30-day free trial of the streaming service Crunchyroll, where consumers can view full episodes of “Jujutsu Kaisen.” The burger chain’s latest move continues a long stretch of marketing that has been inspired by pop-culture trends.

Dive Insight:

McDonald’s is again focusing its marketing around anime through its tie-up with “Jujutsu Kaisen,” an anime series based on the best-selling manga of the same title written and illustrated by Gege Akutami. The move sees the burger chain continuing to look to pop culture to inform its marketing and could help it form a stronger connection with key consumers. 

The new Special Grade Garlic Sauce will be offered exclusively through the McDonald’s app, potentially helping the chain to establish stronger loyalty and collect valuable first-party data. Consumers can score the sauce for free with any order of Chicken McNuggets or it can be paired with other orders on the app. Each sauce purchase also includes a 30-day free trial to anime streaming service Crunchyroll, a move that could drive additional hype for the new offering. 

The new garlic sauce will feature eight unique lid designs nodding to popular characters from “Jujutsu Kaisen” that include: Yuji Itadori, Megumi Fushiguro, Nobara Kugisaki, Satoru Gojo, Kento Nanami, Suguru Geto, Mahito and Sukuna. The new sauce is described as containing notes of garlic and soy sauce balanced with a slight tangy sweetness. 

The latest anime play from McDonald’s follows a similar effort from February that saw the chain pay tribute to how it is often depicted in anime as “WcDonald’s” with a campaign that included a new sauce, packaging, episodic content and more. More broadly, the chain has also sought to tap into pop culture and nostalgia through efforts that have included a play around the birthday of brand mascot Grimace and a tie-up with streetwear influencer Kerwin Frost for a customized Happy Meal box.

Culturally relevant marketing is among the reasons attributed by McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski to the ongoing success of the chain, which has seen 13 straight quarters of positive comparable sales growth. Still, McDonald’s global comparable sales grew just 1.9% in Q1 2024 with revenues of $6.17 billion as it faced boycotts in the Middle East and a pullback from “more discriminating” customers. The chain recently announced that it will introduce a Digital Marketing Fund at the start of next year meant to accelerate digital investments and expand its competitive advantage.