Big Macs and Blocky Worlds: McDonald’s Mines New Ground with Minecraft

McDonald’s is digging into new territory with a global campaign that brings its brand into the pixelated world of Minecraft. Timed to the April 4 release of A Minecraft Movie, the fast-food titan—via Wieden+Kennedy New York—is rolling out a hybrid campaign that lives both online and IRL. This includes custom meals, exclusive in-game experiences, and limited-edition collectibles for both Happy Meal fans and Big Mac loyalists. Key to the appeal? Minecraft’s player base, which clocks in at over 204 million globally, giving McDonald's access to one of the most engaged digital audiences out there.

The campaign features six unique collectibles blending Minecraft elements with McDonaldland characters, plus a special “Nether Flame” sauce inspired by the game’s fiery underworld. The adult meals come with Big Macs or McNuggets, while kids get a Happy Meal plus scannable codes for unlockables in Minecraft’s Marketplace. The brand is clearly investing in multi-sensory, cross-platform storytelling—a strategy building on last year’s anime-themed “WcDonald’s” campaign. As VP of U.S. Marketing JJ Healan put it, this partnership plays to both fanbases by creating a world that’s "recognizable" across dimensions, pixels, and palates.

This rollout is also happening against a backdrop of a marketing overhaul at the Golden Arches. With the January exit of U.S. CMO Tariq Hassan and the arrival of Alyssa Buetikofer, formerly of McDonald's Canada, the brand is in reset mode. Following a $35 million U.S. marketing investment to rebound from a recent food safety crisis, McDonald's has been steadily re-earning cultural relevance—from Oscars cameos to animated nostalgia bombs. Now, by tapping Minecraft’s massive audience, it’s not just selling food—it’s building brand loyalty, one pixel at a time.

Full story at AdWeek.