Squishmallows have travelled to many different McDonald’s around the globe and completed one of their final stops in the US earlier this year! The Squishmallows Happy Meal® ran from December 26 to January 22, featuring fun-loving characters with their own unique music playlists. 

The campaign contained twelve Squishmallows characters, including two US exclusive characters from McDonaldland, Grimace and the Hamburglar – each equipped with their own curated music playlist. Customers were invited to try and collect all plush toys in their region each with their own unique tags that provide insight into the toys’ personalities and music tastes. Customers could then scan the QR code from the box which directed them to happymeal.com and revealed the Squishmallows’ personalized playlists!  

The Squishmallows US Happy Meal® was part of a global campaign which started in 2023, with Latin America concluding the adventure in February. Outside of the US, the digital campaign ran in Europe, Australia, and the APMEA regions. Different toy renditions were available in certain parts of the world, and playlists contained as many as three songs in countries where the digital elements were accesible. 

To add to the Squishmallows fun, each US playlist contained two songs, courtesy of our licensing partner, Universal Music Group, who sourced the songs and secured their rights. Partnering with McDonald’s, tms was responsible for the digital activation of the campaign, and we created a digital mechanic using facial recognition technology to identify the Squishmallows and automatically direct customers to the appropriate playlist, allowing them to virtually jam out with their cuddly companions.

We’re happy to announce that the McDonald’s Delivery Cuff, jointly developed by tms and our supplier partner, Huhtamaki, has just received the UK Foodservice Packaging Association (FPA) Innovation Award. The FPA Product Innovation Awards were held at the Grand Hotel in Brighton, UK and recognized excellence in new innovative products created in the last 18 months. The awards were held at the Grand Hotel in Brighton, England on March 7. 

Huhtamaki specifically won the Production Innovation – Front of House Award for McDonald’s Delivery Cuff. The Cuff is a revolutionary food delivery sealing solution created through a partnership between Huhtamaki, McDonald’s and tms, driven by McDonald’s need to enhance the security and sustainability of food deliveries. Composed of folded paper carton board and two adhesive strips on the reverse for tamper evidence, the Cuff is an effective solution for the secure delivery of McDelivery items. 

tms and Huhtamaki are proud to supply the future of food delivery with Delivery Cuff — where sustainability meets functionality for an unparalleled customer experience. This award serves as recognition for the circular and inventive solutions Huhtamaki and tms provide for McDonald’s and solidifies our spot as industry leaders in packaging. Learn more about the win and other category winners on FPA Awards.  

McDonald’s is transforming into the anime world of WcDonald’s and flipping customers’ worlds upside down with the introduction of the new WcDonald’s sauce! Running from February 26 to March 24, The WcDonald’s promotion is a global campaign, with an extra digital element available to US customers. The campaign commissioned expert artists from Japan, like Acky Bright, Studio Pierrot, and G Angle to illustrate the featured anime and manga content. Through a blend of weekly anime episodes, manga and immersive experiences, fans will be transported into the epic world of WcDonalds!

tms is also bringing the world of WcDonald’s to life digitally with WcDonalds.com – a content-based website dedicated to the program, built by tms. WcDonalds.com gives US customers access to exclusive weekly content like anime episodic shorts and manga chapters, created specifically for the WcDonald’s program by Acky Bright and Studio Pierrot. To maintain as a program traffic driver, WcDonalds.com grants access to the program’s manga chapters and anime episodic shorts to only customers who scan the code on the program’s carryout bags after making a purchase. From there, customers will have full access to watch the anime episodic shorts, read the manga chapters, and learn more about all 22 individual characters featured in the program, including their names, biographies, images and birthdays. 

As part of McDonald’s pledge to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, they empower their partners and suppliers to innovate by exploring renewable energy, advancing the circular economy, and switching to more sustainable packaging and product options. tms took this challenge to heart, and our team worked with uniform partner, Way To Be, to find a more sustainable way to dress crew members in the United States every day, ultimately landing on designs made with CiCLO® technology.  

tms worked with its supplier partners to produce a brand-new crew uniform that’s designed to prevent millions of pounds of microplastic from polluting the air, sea, and soil in our communities. Bonus points: they look great and are comfortable too! 

Due to the textile, fashion, and uniform industries use of synthetic materials — namely plastic in the form of polyester — McDonald’s wanted to find alternative materials that were just as durable yet more environmentally sustainable. tms chose to source CiCLO® technology because it is a patented textile ingredient designed to mitigate fugitive synthetic microfiber pollution, one of the most prevalent forms of microplastic pollution in aquatic, atmospheric, and terrestrial environments around the globe. CiCLO® technology allows synthetic fibers to biodegrade at a rate similar to natural materials like wool, making it an effective circular solution that leaves behind nothing but natural elements.

.CiCLO technology was first introduced to tms from category supplier Way To Be in partnership with Intrinsic Advanced Materials.  Starting with McDonald’s iconic apron, the team completed product development, in-restaurant wear tests and research within select McDonald’s restaurants.  Successful results led to the systemwide introduction of the apron, as well as making additional uniform products with CiCLO technology available including graphic crewshirts and denim jeans.  

tms oversees the design and materials sourced to produce the uniforms manufactured by supplier partners Way To Be and Affinity (a Mi Hub Brand). This project is an example of the Better Future Blueprint in action, our framework which inspires us to join initiatives that create a better future for people, communities, and the planet. By offering solutions to our clients, we provide global powerhouses like McDonald’s with cutting-edge technology, creating a more sustainable future while simultaneously aligning with our own Corporate Social Responsibility values.  

Read more about McDonald’s new crew uniforms with CiCLO® technology on McDonald’s Newsroom. Learn more about tms’ sourcing operations and the Better Future Blueprint on our website.  

tms and McDonald’s UK recently innovated the first MyMcDonald’s Rewards sales promotion of the year, ‘Fry-anuary Rewards.’ Running from January 3 until the end of the month, customers who purchase Medium or Large Fries and are signed up to MyMcDonald’s Rewards will have the chance to win a variety of entertaining prizes like a holiday with spending money, cinema tickets, cash, and more!

As lead agency, tms developed ‘Fry-anuary Rewards’ with the all agency group to deliver McDonald’s customers with feel-good prizes throughout the month of January. If a person purchases four Fries via the app throughout January, they are awarded 4,000 additional MyMcDonald’s Reward’s Points to incentivize participation, which was managed by eCRM agency Armadillo. 

Charged with spreading much needed Feel-Goodness in January, tms has been at the heart of bringing this campaign to life. From concept to game mechanics, visual identity to prize pool partnerships, strategic lead to digital delivery and more, tms have woven all these elements into a compelling experience with an exciting but simple campaign, making entering easy and desirable for customers to take part.

This promotion ends January 31, so if you’re in the UK, head over to your local McDonald’s to participate in ‘Fry-anuary Rewards!’

tms was recently honored at the McDonald’s India Supplier Symposium for our unwavering dedication, shared achievements, and long-term partnership of 27 years with McDonald’s India. The symposium took place from December 4 to 6 in Goa, India to discuss McDonald’s future goals in the supply chain and sourcing categories, with suppliers from categories like food and beverage, equipment, and packaging attending the event. 

McDonald’s highlighted tms for the key role we play in their supply chain and sourcing successes, garnering attention from McDonald’s clients and other suppliers alike. Our parent company, HAVI, achieved a significant feat by winning the most awards in the packaging category than any other company.

We are proud to be recognized by McDonald’s for our partnership, and this award invigorates our teams to continue streamlining best practices, sourcing quality ingredients and materials, and delivering the best possible customer experience. 

Learn more about our global sourcing operations for McDonald’s on our website.

McDonald’s latest campaign featuring The Kerwin Frost Box has dropped around the globe. Kerwin Frost is a life-long McDonald’s lover as well as a creative director, DJ, street style icon, interview host, and artist from Harlem best known for his work within the fashion and music spheres.

This campaign merges his style with the iconic elements of McDonald’s brand. With The Kerwin Frost Box customers have their choice of a Big Mac® sandwich or 10-piece Chicken McNuggets® with medium World Famous Fries, a medium drink, and a McNugget Buddies collectible.

tms helped create an integrated Kerwin Frost Box experience for customers, leveraging our capabilities in packaging, product, and retail experience. This is the second program of this kind. Read about our work on The Cactus Plant Flea Market Box earlier this year. 

tms’s embedded branding and packaging design agency Boxer Brand Design helped bring the box to life, while tms and HAVI managed the procurement of raw materials and box production. Designed by Kerwin Frost, the box artwork features The McNugget Buddies of Frost Way. Each of these champions self-expression differently through their unique outfits and stories — Kerwin Frost through limitless creativity and laughter, Brrrick through high-fashion, Darla through music, Waffutu through helping others in need, Don Bernice through entrepreneurship, and Uptown Moe through hometown pride.

The McNugget Buddies can be remixed and styled, swapping the outfits from one to another, encouraging customers to collect them all and get creative. Each comes with a collectible trading card with more info about who the buddy is. These collectibles and outfits were designed by Kerwin and produced by tms’ collaborative global teams.

Across retail touchpoints in-store and at drive-thru, we also crafted visual elements that integrate the box’s style to surprise and delight customers throughout their purchasing journey, communicate the new exciting box, unique collectibles  and drive home craveability.

Head to your nearest McDonald’s to grab your Kerwin Frost Box before they’re gone!

@2023 McDonalds 

tms brought holiday cheer to McCafé Holiday cups this season with a new festive and modern design! During the Holidays, McDonald’s wants to celebrate everyone with a design that is bold like McCafé drinks, simple like their menu, and colorful like everyone that visits McDonald’s. These festive cups bring holiday cheer with every sip and will be available from November 20 to December 29 in the US, making daily life a little more joyful. 

Boxer Brand Design, tms’ embedded brand identity and packaging agency crafted the cups in a celebratory, colorful, and geometrical manner, staying true to McCafé’s sleek yet bold design style. The cup’s contemporary design contains vibrant hues of pink, green, red, blue, and yellow, with geometric holiday motifs like Christmas trees and snowflakes.

Explore more of Boxer Brand Design’s cutting-edge work with McDonald’s on their website.

Learn more about our commitment to helping leading companies achieve their sustainable business objectives through our Better Future Blueprint, and read more about McDonald’s environmental goals on their planet impact overview.

Squishmallows will continue the cuddles for McDonald’s new Autumn Happy Meal®! The campaign will run from November 1 to 21 exclusively in the UK and ROI. Squishmallows are internationally bestselling plush which unite children through their colorful personalities!

The program unveils a new collection of plush toys, including Tatiana the Dragon, Benny the Big Foot and Fifi the Fox! The Happy Meal® boxes also feature autumnal motifs and are the perfect setting for your cuddly Squishmallows friends to hang out in.

Along with the Squishmallows toys, kids can enjoy seasonal activity sheets and the latest edition of the Little People, BIG DREAMS® book series, “I Can Be a Brilliant Scientist.” Little People, BIG DREAMS® encourages children to read through motivational and engaging stories in hopes of motivating children to achieve their dreams.

tms was responsible for the toy development and packaging of the Squishmallows toys, as well as the development and packaging of the Little People, Big Dreams book series. Our team designed the digital play retail elements, as well as all retail POP materials, including in-store posters, drive-thru banners, digital window screens, activity sheets, flags, and fruit packaging.

Your favorite fall Squishmallows friends won’t be around forever, so make sure to head on over to your local McDonald’s if you are in the UK or Ireland!