The worlds of SpongeBob SquarePants and ONE PIECE collide for McDonald’s latest Happy Meal collab

McDonald’s is forming an exciting and unlikely partnership for its latest Happy Meal by bringing together the worlds of SpongeBob SquarePants and ONE PIECE, launching on September 15 in the U.S.  

As lead agency, tms played a pivotal role in forming the partnership between the licensors and bringing the campaign to life by delivering the visual identity, strategy, retail experience, digital gameplay, packaging, and toy design and sourcing.  

The SpongeBob SquarePants x ONE PIECE Happy Meal invites customers to embark on the ultimate treasure hunt united under the Golden Arches. While the two animated series differ, tms tapped into the common thread of adventure and love of the pirate life to bring them together. By pairing SpongeBob SquarePants’ family-friendly familiarity with ONE PIECE’s adventure-led fandom, the collaboration gives Happy Meal a way to connect with Gen Alpha and Gen Z fans simultaneously. 

The Happy Meal features 15 collectible SpongeBob SquarePants x ONE PIECE toys for U.S. markets, designed and sourced by tms, which pair a SpongeBob SquarePants character with a ONE PIECE-inspired outfit, such as SpongeBob SquarePants x Luffy and Squidward x Sanji. The ship component of the toy is detachable, allowing fans to mix and match their characters, transforming play into a unique customizable experience.  

Inside McDonald’s restaurants, tms developed a vibrant retail kit designed to immerse customers in the underwater adventure by leveraging the character illustrations. The dual-sided Happy Meal box features SpongeBob SquarePants and ONE PIECE artwork, keeping in theme with retail elements while showcasing both partners in a bold manner. 

tms designed the digital gameplay to extend the Happy Meal outside of restaurants and deepen the treasure quest theme – to play, customers must scan the code on their toy or Happy Meal box. Customers can then choose a unique character and navigate around on a ship to collect treasure in the sea, accessible on happymeal.com or in the McDonald’s app. 

Chantal Page, Senior Strategy Director at tms: “The partnership tms formed between SpongeBob SquarePants and ONE PIECE allow McDonald’s to tap into multigenerational fandoms and appeal to parents and kids in different ways. By finding shared truths between the distinct franchises, we were able to create a Happy Meal that feels more like an immersive treasure hunt rather than a staple menu item.” 

The Happy Meal will be available in the U.S. until October 19 and has already launched across select markets worldwide – the rollout will continue in Europe and Asia through 2026, available in 70 total markets. 

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