McDonald’s is stepping into the world of Stranger Things for its latest Happy Meal, inviting fans to help “save McDonald’s” from the Tales of ’85 monsters. tms secured a partnership between McDonald’s and Netflix to bring the world of Hawkins into restaurants across the globe – from toy development to retail execution and digital gameplay, tms created an immersive end-to-end experience built for kids, families, and longtime fans alike. 

The heart of the campaign was centered around a simple fan truth: “McDonald’s is where I get to take charge” – that idea became the creative backbone of the campaign, where young fans are invited to take charge, fend off monsters, and become the heroes of the story.  

Digital game experience 

The adventure extended beyond retail into the app with the digital gameplay – by scanning a QR code on the Happy Meal box or toy, kids could choose a character, battle creatures across three themed levels, and ultimately save McDonald’s. The experience reinforced the campaign’s core message: fans are in control.  

Learn how we have previously supported global campaigns for McDonald’s, such as the Minecraft Meal. Interested in learning more about tms’ holistic marketing solutions, or how we can help your brand harness the power of partnerships? Get in touch.  

Drinks are taking center stage at McDonald’s with the expansion of its beverage line, establishing the brand as a beverage destination for customers. First rolling out in the US and Canada on May 6, the line will then expand to additional global markets throughout 2026. The launch is supported by tms, who led the end-to-end retail experience and packaging sourcing across McDonald’s. 

The program introduces six new McCafé Specialty Beverages, supported by a fully integrated retail experience. New flavors include an array of Refreshers and Crafted Sodas, such as the Strawberry Watermelon Refresher​, Sprite® Berry Blast​, Dirty Dr Pepper®, Mango Pineapple Refresher​, and more. 

tms worked closely with McDonald’s to translate beverage innovation into a cohesive retail experience built to capture attention, simplify choice, and drive incremental purchase at the point of order through captivating visuals at every touchpoint – including the menu boards, drive-thru, and retail signage. 

tms recently hosted the European Packaging Supplier Forum in Amsterdam, bringing together packaging suppliers and McDonald’s partners from across Europe for two days of collaboration, insight-sharing, and strategic alignment. Held under the theme “Powering the Customer Experience, Together,” the forum focused on strengthening partnerships across the packaging supply chain. 

The event created a platform for open dialogue across the packaging ecosystem, with sessions focused on strengthening partnerships, exploring innovation opportunities, and reinforcing the critical role suppliers play in delivering consistent, high-quality packaging experiences for customers. 

As the organizer and facilitator of the forum, tms brought together leaders from across the supply chain to encourage knowledge sharing and cross-functional collaboration. Through presentations, workshops, and networking sessions, attendees explored ways to drive operational excellence, advance sustainability priorities, and identify new opportunities for innovation across the packaging landscape. 

The forum also included a Supplier Recognition Awards dinner, celebrating partners whose contributions continue to support performance and progress across the system. 

By convening suppliers and stakeholders in one place, the European Supplier Forum demonstrates how collaboration across the supply chain can unlock new ideas, strengthen partnerships, and support continued progress in packaging innovation. 

What happens after you buy a Friends Meal at UK McDonald’s this February? A fantastic tms-led post-purchase prize draw that turns fandom into repeat engagement!

Not only do customers who purchase a Friends Meal receive a collectible figurine, but they’re also invited to enter a prize draw for the chance to win something seriously special: a limited-edition set of four Friends mugs.

To enter, customers must complete a one-time email entry form after the first qualifying purchase – to enter again and increase their chances of winning, they just need to purchase another Friends Meal.

This promotion has been designed to reward loyalty while keeping the experience simple, seamless, and scalable.

By shifting the excitement beyond the transaction, this campaign shows how post-purchase moments can drive sustained engagement and keep fans coming back for more.

Alongside the promotional mechanic, tms also managed the production of the collectible figurines and oversaw the licensor management for this campaign.

Learn how we have previously supported campaigns for McDonald’s to drive brand loyalty and engagement, such as Monopoly US.

Eat. Collect. Win. McDonald’s CARDS launches on March 17 in the UK. The brand combined nostalgic culture to bring customers a one-of-a-kind promotion, celebrating a lifetime of McDonald’s memories.

From March 17, 2026, McDonald’s is giving fans the opportunity to collect and win when they purchase a CARDS Meal, receiving their very own pack of four CARDS designed to spark joy and excite fans. Each pack contains free food, and customers can then enter their CARDS codes into the McDonald’s app to complete sets and unlock exclusive prizes.

To support the launch of McDonald’s new game, tms combined physical game cards, digital innovation, and exclusive prizes to create a unique customer experience. Our scope enabled customers to enter, collect, and redeem seamlessly across channels, while fueling campaign excitement.

As lead digital partner, tms worked across UX, UI, design, motion, and front and back-end development to deliver a digital experience around the physical collection of CARDS in restaurant. The in-app journey sparks joy and excitement through a seamless CARDS collecting experience. Built around a sleek, elevated, and inherently premium design system, tms delivered interactive 3D cards and celebratory animations that create a richer digital environment for McDonald’s customers, keeping them coming back for more.

tms was also responsible for the campaign prize pool, tapping into customer culture to create simple and joyous rewards for customers, ranging from cash prizes to an exclusive range of limited-edition CARDS T-shirts. tms also produced exclusive CARDS binders and tins, that will be available to buy at selected McDonald’s restaurants.

To play, customers must order a qualifying CARDS Meal to receive a pack of four cards, with free food in every pack. They can then collect cards in the app for the chance to complete sets and win prizes – from cash to merch to a free medium McDonald’s meal a week for a year. Plus, the ultra-rare Ronald Card is up for grabs, with just 10 in existence, worth £10,000 each!

tms delivered this campaign with our agency partners, Leo UK, OMD, Red, Linney and TMW. The promotion runs for six weeks, until April 27, 2026.

Read more about the promotion on Campaign UK. 

Learn about other gamified experiences we’ve created with McDonald’s UK, like Side Missions.

18+. For T&Cs (inc. prize details), see mcdrules.co.uk.

A new partnership between McDonald’s and Crayola, facilitated by creative consulting agency tms, is filling the world with creativity – one Happy Meal at a time.

Launching March 6 in the UK, The Crayola “Planet McDonald’s” Happy Meal boosts fans into an epic adventure set in a new galaxy of color and imagination, filled with toys built for play.

Happy Meal customers can fuel their creative juices with a line-up of 10 space-themed toy sets, designed and sourced by tms in partnership with Crayola – available in participating markets. The toy range includes Crayola pencils, spiral art packs, activity coloring books, glow-in-the-dark posters, rubbing stations, stencil art, and activity figures – all based on the themes of astronauts, rockets, and aliens.

Each Happy Meal allows fans to tap into their natural creativity, particularly Gen A, in a promotion that encourages them to let their imaginations run wild and as they enter their very own “Planet McDonalds.” The immersive retail experience also runs alongside digital gameplay, accessed via a code on the Happy Meal box or toy in participating markets.

The new “customize and color” digital adventure leverages the power of play by inviting everyone to explore unknown galaxies and add their personality to new, alien worlds. Users will find themselves jumping into a turbo charged spaceship and whizzing through cosmic neighborhoods, hovering over astronauts smiling on the moon, and soaring to glowing planets bursting with playful aliens.

tms’ digital experience takes flight with an intro video before inviting users to choose a space-themed toy and travel with it to different planets. Whichever planet they land on, they will be able to tap into their creativity and color the scene before watching their characters come to life.

The above-the-line creative assets, led by Leo Burnett, imagines McDonald’s in space, capturing the essence of children’s illustrations and imaginations within an exciting and whimsical space world. tms is leading on strategy, digital and retail experience, toy production, and the licensor partnership.

Jessica Booth, Account Director at tms said: “The new space-themed world is packed with fresh ideas for young minds to help them fill the universe with creativity. Working with McDonald’s and Crayola, our promotion is bringing new worlds to life in a way that will inspire our audience to take their imagination to the next level.”

The promotion at McDonald’s runs in the UK from March 6 to March 23 and later breaks in other global markets.

This holiday season, McDonald’s and tms are serving up a playful spin on a nostalgic icon with The Grinch Meal. Launching in the U.S. on December 2, the campaign builds off the success from the previous Canada program in 2024, offering a limited-edition menu item and exclusive merchandise. 

Customers may choose between a Big Mac or a 10-piece McNuggets for The Grinch Meal – complete with limited-edition Grinch Salt McShaker fries – a delicious twist on an iconic menu item, paired with the new zesty dill pickle salt. tms collaborated with Dr. Seuss Enterprise to source Grinch-themed socks in four different styles, available exclusively with a purchase of The Grinch Meal. 

tms’ embedded packaging agency, Boxer Brand Design, helped bring the campaign’s holiday magic to life, supporting the cheeky Grinch Meal bundle box and leading the vibrant McCafé Holiday Cups filled with bold color, Grinchy mischief, and festive appearances by the Grinch, Max, and Cindy-Lou Who. 

tms also developed the retail experience for The Grinch Meal, tapping into the iconic Grinch illustration style to showcase the meal and limited-edition socks, complete with sassy slogans the Grinch himself would say.  

The overarching campaign was a collaborative effort across agencies. Learn about previous holiday campaigns we have supported, including our work on McDonald’s Gift Drop in the UK. 

For the first time since 2016, the MONOPOLY® Game at McDonald’s made its highly anticipated return to restaurants across the U.S. on October 6, in a new, integrated 360° campaign by tms. This year’s program marks a bold evolution of the beloved game, introducing two ways to play with a new in-app experience designed to drive customer engagement and loyalty. 

tms has played a pivotal role in reimagining The MONOPOLY® Game at McDonald’s for 2025, developing a dual gameplay mechanic, powered by tms’ proprietary gaming engine technology iWin. This new gaming experience allows fans to participate with physical game pieces or digital game pieces played through the McDonald’s App.* By maintaining the original mechanic while introducing new ways to play, we’re tapping into fan nostalgia while enticing the next generation.  

Customers must first register for the Game in the McDonald’s app to participate. To receive a physical game piece, customers can order an eligible item and peel the game piece off the packaging. To receive a digital game piece, customers can order select items via Mobile Order or by using their Rewards code in the McDonald’s app. Physical game pieces must be scanned in the McDonald’s app, and digital game pieces can be peeled digitally right in the app. In either case, players will instantly win a menu item or loyalty points or collect a property piece. Property pieces can be collected in the app to earn “Property Perks,” which unlock partner offers or rewards. A new in-app Bonus Play also gives customers a second chance to win cash, food, loyalty points, or partner prizes available every minute through 11/2. 

tms secured all prize partnerships, including vehicles, vacation prizes, gift cards, and more.  

In a new development for the US market, tms integrated McDonald’s app technology for the US with Single Sign-On (SSO) and Closed Loop Redemption. These advancements enable instant win food prizes to be revealed and redeemed exclusively through the McDonald’s App, streamlining the customer journey and enhancing convenience.  

tms’ embedded packaging agency, Boxer Brand Design, designed the packaging with Mr. Monopoly as the hero while featuring big-ticket prizes to further entice fans. The retail experience also leveraged the campaign’s visual identity by showcasing Mr. Monopoly with eligible menu items and prizes.  

Learn more about tms’ global support of McDonald’s Monopoly programs, including our recent work for Monopoly in Australia and in the UK. 

*No purchase necessary. Purch. will not improve chances of winning. Monopoly Game at McDonald’s open to residents of 50 US/DC 18+, opted in to Rewards & registered for Game in the McD’s App. Begins 12:00:00 a.m. Local Time (“LT”) 10/6/25, ends 11:59:59 p.m. LT 11/2/25 while Game Pieces last. Get Game Piece with elig. item while supplies last. Some elig. items have physical Game Piece; some earn a digital Game Piece in App. Digital Game Piece earned ONLY IF you 1st register for Game BEFORE ordering elig. item via mobile or using Rewards code. To play without a purchase, request a Game Piece at amoe.playatmcd.com. Deadline to play any Game Piece: 11:59:59 p.m. LT 11/23/25, BUT Bonus Play game ends 11:59:59 p.m. LT 11/2/25. Subj. to Official Rules in participating restaurants, App & at playatmcd.com; see rules for eligibility/entry/prizes & ARVs/odds of winning/prize claim deadline. 1:5 odds to win at Game outset, mostly food prizes. Prizes diminish & odds change as prizes won. Odds of winning Bonus Play prize based on time of in-App play. Max 10 plays/day (based on ET). Void where prohib. Sponsor: McDonald’s USA, LLC, 110 N. Carpenter St., Chicago, IL 60607. MONOPOLY TM, ® & © 2025 Hasbro 

The beloved Boo Buckets Happy Meal are returning to McDonald’s for Halloween on October 21, in the US, bringing back nostalgic favorites like the Orange Pumpkin while introducing new characters like the Red Zombie and Black Cat. This year’s campaign, developed by tms, promises to deliver a hauntingly fun experience that bridges generations and sparks new memories.  

First introduced in the 1980s and revived in 2022, Boo Buckets have become a seasonal icon. For 2025, McDonald’s and tms are raising the bar with five unique bucket designs – Ghost, Pumpkin, Goblin, Cat and Zombie – each featuring three different expressions. The collection also introduces glow-in-the-dark sticker lids and playful, trick-or-treat-inspired activities, ensuring every Happy Meal is packed with Halloween magic.   

The campaign reignites core Halloween memories for nostalgic adults while sparking new traditions for the next generation of fans.   

This year’s designs blend the new with the old – mixing OG characters with the new Golden Arches top handle, first brought to market in 2024. This year’s in-restaurant experience also extends the campaign beyond the meal, utilizing the bat icon and a purple background to emphasize the Halloween theme, and a mega merchandiser to highlight the available products.  

Boo Buckets will be available with every Happy Meal at participating McDonald’s locations from October 21 through November 3 or while supplies last. 

Monopoly at McDonald’s is back in the UK for the ‘ultimate collab’ – dropping a range of exciting prizes, exclusive merchandise, and an interactive digital game board, while introducing its first limited time offer: the Loaded Caramel McFlurry. 

tms led the campaign which taps into Gen Z hype culture with a truly iconic mash up, blending everything that makes the McDonald’s and Monopoly brands special and stars beloved characters like Mr. Monopoly, Grimace, Hamburglar, and Birdie.  

Making the original characters the heroes creates nostalgia for longtime fans, while presenting the game in a whole new way for the next generation of fans. To further engage gen Z audiences, tms leveraged the power of play, giving fans a guaranteed 1 in 4 chance to win instantly for the first time ever.  

This year, tms introduced new ways to play with an enhanced gamified experience available within the McDonald’s app, built as an interactive, 3D digital gameboard – complete with a new “Go” button that allows players to move around the board as their game progresses. tms programmed the game with over 30 possible outcomes, and players can view previews of prize offerings and redeem their winnings within the experience. 

Designed to create next-level hype, the prize offerings include multiple McDonald’s Monopoly collabs, leaning into the drop-culture Gen-Z knows and loves. tms designed and sourced all merchandise for the promotion, including a limited-edition physical gameboard designed, tailored to iconic McDonald’s items, with properties such as ‘Big Mac Manor’ and “Mayo Chicken Mile”, as well as its own McDonaldland character game tokens. Hoodies, key rings, ping badges, t-shirts, and a light-up neon McDonald’s light are also available as prize giveaways or for purchase. 

Other prizes include a trip from Jet2 Holidays and Merlin Entertainment passes – as well as a total of more than £2 million in cash, all negotiated, handled, and fulfilled by tms.  

A limited-time menu item, the Loaded Caramel McFlurry, is available as part of the campaign for the first time – tapping directly into nostalgic pleasures, from the millionaire shortbread toppings to the gold “Monopoly Money” packaging. In another first, breakfast is available in the collaboration, with custom hot cups created by tms.  

John Viccars, Head of Strategy at tms, said: “This year, the shift from celebrating McDonald’s Monopoly as the ‘OG promotion’ to the ‘ultimate collab’, has led to our most exciting campaign experience of all. Packed with fresh icon-to-icon creative, hype driving mash-up prizes, first ever Monopoly menu item, playful digital experiences, and cash activations, we’ve truly maximised the generosity and joy for McDonald’s customers.”   

The Monopoly game at McDonald’s runs nationwide in the UK from 10 September to 21 October 2025. Read more about the campaign through the industry coverage it received on Ads of the World and Media Shotz.