McDonald's Japan has released a series of anime-inspired adverts featuring a host of illustrated characters enjoying a McDonald's meal. The ads, which have been compared to Studio Ghibli in style, were created as part of a promotion for the brand's nugget and fries meal deal and capture the joy of sharing with friends and family.
Set to a chill lo-fi beat, the ads bring a sense of calm, creating a brief window of time to enjoy life's simpler (McDonald's-based) pleasures. (If you love anime art and want more inspiration, check out our collection of the best animation books).
Some fans have compared the animation to Studio Ghibli's nostalgic art style. (Image credit: McDonald's Japan)
The ads were the work of Japanese artist Urachan, who's known for their classic anime-style illustrations. The colour palette has a warm undertone which gives each piece a nostalgic feel in tandem with the soft accompanying music.
One ad features a group of teens enjoying their McDonald's meals while another shows a wholesome family bonding over McDonald's fries. Perhaps most strange in the ad trio, is a Halloween-themed clip featuring a group of ghouls zooming down the highway with their McDonald's meals (I guess even monsters need McNuggets sometimes).
The ultra-chill anime ads seemed to be popular among X users, who took to the app to praise the new campaign, with some pointing out the ad's similarities to Studio Ghibli's art style. One astute viewer even noticed a cameo from one of McDonald's' vintage toys, commenting underneath the post "Nature is healing".
Exactly🔥 remind me of studio Gibli so much 🥹 pic.twitter.com/FFHLfbVcNRSeptember 22, 2023
We need more of these cute animated commercials around the world! It is a wonderful and beautiful advertisement💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙September 24, 2023
In my books, anything with a lo-fi hip-hop soundtrack and anime-style visuals is a total match made in heaven. This McDonald's campaign shows that brands shouldn't be afraid to go back to basics with their ads and that capturing a moment of calm can be just as captivating as bold and bright campaigns.
Here at Creative Bloq, we cover a lot of campaigns from McDonald's, so it's great to see something so different from the brand. If you're after some more ingenious ads from McDonald's check out its minimalist billboard ad that's an absolute sizzler, or take a look at the Marvel x McDonald's collab that's a delightful dose of nostalgia.
Get the Creative Bloq Newsletter
Daily design news, reviews, how-tos and more, as picked by the editors.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Natalie Fear is Creative Bloq's staff writer. With an eye for trending topics and a passion for internet culture, she brings you the latest in art and design news. Natalie also runs Creative Bloq’s Day in the Life series, spotlighting diverse talent across the creative industries. Outside of work, she loves all things literature and music (although she’s partial to a spot of TikTok brain rot).
