tms has been honored with the Sustainability Supplier of the Year 2024 award at the McDonald’s UK Supply Chain Conference on January 16. 

This achievement reflects the work of our cross-functional teams to help McDonald’s meet their Plan for Change goals by demonstrating their values of Serve, Family, and Integrity. McDonald’s core value to Serve represents putting customers first, while Family recognizes that we grow stronger together, and Integrity establishes trust.  

By working closely with suppliers, franchisees, and customers, we have introduced products that meet customer needs, while being better for the planet. Our resilience in finding the right products has allowed McDonald’s to meet their 2024 goal of 100% recyclable packaging. 

The award was presented by McDonald’s UK’s Laura Henderson, Vice President of Supply Chain, and Mark Kiernan, CFO, acknowledging our unwavering commitment to sustainability. 

We would like to extend our thanks to all within the enterprise who have collaborated closely to deliver on these industry-leading sustainable initiatives.  

Read about our other recent award wins we have received from McDonald’s, including McDonald’s highest honor in Asia.  

The McDonald’s Gift Drop has launched in the UK, just in time for the festive period! Running from November 20 to December 19, the promotion invites the public to search for hidden gift tags featuring a code to unlock daily offers and a chance to win special prizes, because everyone deserves a win this festive season. tms led on the promotion, digital experience, ecommerce shop, and prize pool, including merchandise development.

Over 100 codes were placed across the nation, and customers are encouraged to find the codes and input them into their app for a chance to unlock a series of “winning moments!” From billboards on the street to in-person events or on your favorite influencer’s social media posts, there are plenty of chances to win each day! 

If a player successfully finds the code, upon entering, they will immediately receive two food offers per day – on top of that, there are additional chances to win exclusive merchandise, food prizes, and MyMcDonald’s Rewards points. To support the prize offerings, tms sourced merchandise like furry Grimace bucket hats, festive PJs and jumpers, Birdie socks, neon lights, and more, enticing customers to participate with special new drops. 

Learn how the McDonald’s Gift Drop complements the broader integrated brand campaign, including the Festive Wins promotion. 

tms Munich is honored to announce we have won the Silver Effie in the Activation Category for the 2023 McDonald’s MONOPOLY campaign! The Effie Awards are regarded as the marketing industry’s golden standard, honoring marketing excellence which has contributed to the success of the world’s leading brands.  

This award is a testament to the incredible dedication of our global teams across the Munich, Duisburg, and London offices, demonstrating our expertise in brand partnerships, digital experiences, and loyalty programs. 

tms was recognized for our work with MONOPOLY and McDonald’s Germany. The campaign celebrated the holiday season, offering players the chance to win enticing prizes like a camper van from Bürstner, solid gold bars, vouchers from our partners, and more! tms successfully negotiated and managed over 20 prize partnerships for the campaign through our extensive network of global partners. 

Learn about our involvement with McDonald’s Germany’s latest MONOPOLY promotion, which launched November 7, 2024.

On November 7, McDonald’s and tms Munich brought back the fan-favorite MONOPOLY promotion.  

There are countless prizes to win as MONOPOLY returns. McDonald’s guests can look forward to a wide range of prizes and offers created with Certified Lead Game Agency, tms Munich, that runs the handling and fulfillment of prizes, manages brand partnerships, and the integration of McDonald’s and Hasbro – owner of the MONOPOLY brand. 

McDonald’s Germany’s Chief Marketing Officer, Tomasz Dębowski, echoes this excitement: “For our guests — and for us as a brand — the MONOPOLY promotion is always a major highlight of the year”. 

The popular peel-and-collect mechanic produced and audited by tms Munich is at the heart of the promotion. Stickers can be found on various participating products, such as McCrispy, Big Tasty Bacon, the McPlant Burger, big Fries, big Soft Drinks, McFlurry, and more.  

The MONOPOLY game will take place entirely through the MyMcDonald’s app, where participants can scan or enter codes, collect sets of “streets” and “stations,” and instantly win prizes in their accounts. Delicious winning coupons can be redeemed on their next visit. Alongside instant food prizes, this year’s rewards include several trips, a camper van, a dream house, and the chance to win up to €100,000 through Jackpot Tickets.  

Read more about the promotion through the German industry publications Horizont and Life PR.

It’s not an easy task helping lead the charge reinventing a beloved icon, the Happy Meal toy, towards a more sustainable future – but tms’ Future Lab does just that, innovating more sustainable solutions for Happy Meals around the world.  

The Future Lab is responsible for identifying new, more sustainable materials, suppliers, and production processes for Happy Meal toys. As part of this process, they not only design but also research new toy concepts that are safe, durable, deliver high perceived value, and most importantly, align with McDonald’s Global sustainability goals. It’s an important task, especially given how iconic the Happy Meal toy has been for nearly half a century.   

Since embarking on McDonald’s sustainability journey in 2018, the Future Lab team has pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in toy design using qualified sustainable materials. Initially focusing on fiber-based materials like cardboard and paper, their efforts have evolved to include more durable, sustainable materials such as aluminum, bio-resins, and mass-balance plastics.  

Their goal? To ensure that Happy Meal toys still look and feel as they always have—only now, they’re made from qualified sustainable materials instead of traditional fossil fuel plastics. Over the past three years, the team has reviewed over 400 new materials, narrowed that list down to 200, and successfully qualified 37 new more sustainable materials to date for use in Happy Meal toys.  

The team’s dedication recently led to a groundbreaking achievement: for the first time in Happy Meal history, they’ve developed a process to use recycled plastics in toys. After two years of collaboration with McDonald’s Global Safety, the tms Supply Chain team, and an independent safety lab, Future Lab has successfully qualified mechanically recycled plastic materials for use in plush Happy Meal toys. Now, recycled PET plastic water bottles can be transformed into the outer fabric and internal stuffing of these toys—a feat that has never been done before.  

With their continued focus on innovation and sustainability, the Future Lab team helps tms and McDonald’s push boundaries and set new standards in sustainable toy production.

Uncover the Future Lab’s involvement with McDonald’s campaigns like the Wiltopia PLAYMOBIL Happy Meal, where they played an integral role in aligning our campaign strategy with McDonald’s environmental commitments by finding more sustainable materials to produce the Happy Meal toys. 

McDonald’s is launching their widely anticipated nationwide partnership with Krispy Kreme with help from tms! Beginning on October 15 in the Chicagoland area at participating locations, the rollout will take place in phases across national markets, with nationwide availability expected by the end of 2026. 

Whether customers are looking to supercharge their morning or have a sweet snack during the day, the collaboration allows McDonald’s to lean into Krispy Kreme’s high brand recognition and expand menu offerings to appeal to an even larger audience. 

tms connected with McDonald’s Owner Operators who were part of the Krispy Kreme test market run to learn more about consumer behavior, what was working, and how we could make the national rollout even more successful. 

“Delivered fresh daily,” the Krispy Kreme doughnut offerings include the Original Glazed®, Chocolate Iced with Sprinkles, and Chocolate Iced Kreme™ Filled. Customers can order individual doughnuts or six packs of the Variety and Original Glazed® flavors. The new menu offerings give even more customers the chance to indulge in one of Krispy Kreme’s classic doughnuts 

tms designed all print and digital Point-of-Purchase assets, with the Krispy Kreme branding, logo, and doughnuts as the focal point. Subtle McDonald’s branding can be seen throughout the assets on the parchment and on an iced coffee in a cold cup, giving a nod to the new partnership. 

Learn about other recent McDonald’s campaigns we have created retail assets for, including the US launch of the Chicken Big Mac®!  

Halloween is near, the arches are lit, and customers know they can count on tms and McDonald’s for a scary good time for this year’s Boo Bucket Happy Meal®! Beginning on October 15 and running through Oct 28 or while supplies last, the Boo Buckets are back with four new monsters, including a new blue colored bucket. 

Unlike seasons of the past, this year is filled with even more tricks and treats than usual! tms designed and sourced each Boo Bucket to be illustrated with a different monster and yellow glowing eyes in the colors blue, orange, green, and white. The handles were updated from last year and pay tribute to McDonald’s Golden Arches.  

The Happy Meal comes with stickers fans can peel off and use to customize their own bucket, along with a hide and seek game on the back, both of which are themed around the monster’s home environments: Spooky Cave, Snowy Mountains, Scary Swamp, and Haunted Forest. This extra element of personalization allows customers to express themselves and makes each Boo Bucket unique.

The updated designs play on the generational love for Boo Buckets, incorporating retro illustrations to incite a feeling of nostalgia and tradition. 

To promote the return of the iconic Boo Buckets, tms designed all retail assets, featuring the new monster characters in their respective spooky environments. The imagery and language for the point of purchase assets drive home the fact that Boo Buckets are here for a limited time, while elevating the full lineup to create excitement and demand amongst customers. As a bonus for this campaign, we designed and sourced custom apple slice packaging to feature monster motifs, as well as special large-format merchandisers to highlight the array of Boo Buckets. 

On happymeal.com, fans can watch an introductory video, access activity sheets, meet the monsters, and find further information about the campaign, all courtesy of tms’ digital design teams. 

Head on over to your local McDonald’s while supplies last! Learn more about the Boo Buckets campaign we managed in 2023. 

McDonald’s Canada is thrilled to announce Monopoly Double Play is back! The promotion, running October 1^st through November 4^th, while supplies last, returns with its on-pack and in-app gameplay and an exciting twist new for this year: a chance to win a Cash Prize Every Minute opportunity in the McDonald’s app!*

tms leads the campaigns promotion strategy, packaging, digital gameplay, prize sourcing and visual identity, bringing the game to life with a golden digital game tile design, and a visually striking game mechanic that bridges traditional gameplay with future-forward digital engagement.

In 2023, McDonald’s Canada introduced a digital component to the long-running game: Double Play! Players continue the traditional peel and win play on select packaging items, then have the option to scan, or enter, property codes and collect them in the McDonald’s app. When players scan or enter codes in the app, they are given the additional chance to win with a Double Play, an extra in-app peel that keeps fans engaged and excited for a chance to win.

The new Cash Prize Every Minute feature introduces an exciting new prize that is sure to ignite excitement among players. By simply participating in the app, fans have the chance to win cash prizes every minute throughout the duration of the game. This new cash incentive offers yet another reason for fans to engage both on-pack and in-app.

Along with the new Cash Prize Every Minute, McDonald’s has partnered with a wide array of brands to offer exclusive prizes that include trips to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, shopping sprees, and a variety of gaming, sports, and other experiences. With tons of prizes to offer, the Monopoly Double Play promotion offers something for everyone.

“McDonald’s fans know what they want, and we’ve listened,” said Stephanie Barbieri, Senior Director, Delivery at tms. “The success of Double Play has shown us that digital engagement keeps McDonald’s fans excited and eager to win, and we’re thrilled to build on that success this year with even bigger prizes.”

As McDonald’s Canada continues to embrace digital transformation, tms remains dedicated to supporting the brand, creating app-first experiences that resonate with its tech-savvy audience. Running from October 1st through November 4th, while supplies last, the Monopoly Double Play promotion is set to deliver excitement, engagement, and prizes, combining the nostalgia of peeling game pieces with the thrill of digital gameplay.

*No purch. rqd. Oct. 1–Nov. 4/24 or while supplies last. 100 Code entries/day. Game Piece Prizes: 1 in 5 chances to win at outset, mostly food prizes. App Prizes: Chances based on time of Code entry. Draw Prizes: Chances depend on number of entries in each draw. See Rules in App for details.

The Chicken Big Mac® has arrived in the US! Running from October 9 to November 10, tms and McDonald’s are getting customers excited for a new way to enjoy the iconic flavor of the Big Mac® sandwich. 

The campaign slogan, “It’s Not Not a Big Mac®,” gets consumers excited for more ways to enjoy their love for the Big Mac® and cleverly plays into the discourse surrounding what really defines a Big Mac®. 

tms created all retail assets for this campaign to engage and educate customers, uplifting the entire Big Mac® line by making the sandwich the hero. The Chicken Big Mac® is boldly shown with block letter fonts to showcase its iconic taste and ingredients which sets the sandwich apart from the rest. From retail posters and in-store kiosks to pre-sell and pre-browse images on the drive-thru, we created print, motion, and digital assets with a food-focus in mind. 

Learn more about other launches we have supported for McDonald’s, such as the Grandma McFlurry®. 

tms, McDonald’s, and Crocs™ have paired up for a global Happy Meal® promotion that will knock your socks off! The Crocs Happy Meal hit global markets in August and launched in the US on September 17, rolling out internationally through the summer of 2025. 

This promotion blends the essence of Happy Meal with Crocs, incorporating menu favorites and branded motifs like McDonald’s Golden Arches into the toy design, Crocs merchandise, and digital gameplay. Tapping into fandoms, customers are encouraged to express their individuality through personalized elements, while also elevating the brand in culture. 

tms drew inspiration from Crocs’ retail experience, sourcing tuckboxes and tissue paper for the toy packaging reminiscent of a shoe box. The Happy Meal toys consist of 14 miniature Crocs clips, sourced by tms from Mass Balance PP, with special Jibbitz™ stickers for fans to personalize their Crocs toys. While there are 17 total toys that can be collected globally, the number of styles available varies in each market. 

We designed the digital experience to be a personalized game where customers are invited to create a custom pair of Crocs in Augmented Reality (AR) by selecting their style, changing the color, and adding Jibbitz™. To unlock the digital gameplay, customers simply scan the code on the tuckbox or Happy Meal box. 

Tapping into drop culture, McDonald’s branded Crocs and merchandise like socks are available for purchase direct to consumer through Crocs retail or online stores. 

Learn more about the Happy Meal campaigns we support for McDonald’s, including the recent Despicable Me 4 Happy Meal.