Align with behaviour / This campaign expertly taps into Japan’s ‘Oshikatsu’ (推し活) culture – a form of fandom that involves actively supporting or ‘stanning’ a favourite celebrity, artist or character. According to the agency, this culture is deeply embedded in the lives of Japan’s Gen Z and Gen Alpha, who commonly attend fan meetups and live concerts or organise virtual events like birthday celebrations and group watch parties. According to the Yano Research Institute, the fandom market in Japan was valued at over ¥9.9tn ($66.2bn) in 2024, making it a major and influential cultural and economic force on young people. By partnering with XG on a live-streamed event that aligns with the trends and behaviours of its target audience, McDonald’s created an engaging brand experience that converted fandom into sales results.
Harness fandom / The XG Galaxy Set is just one in a long line of celebrity McDonald’s orders. Unlike typical influencer collaborations where the talent promotes the product, McDonald’s model is to have the talent create their own menu by selecting their personal favourites. It’s a widely successful concept that works on a global and local level; McDonald’s partners with the biggest artists and celebrities in each territory to harness fandom and connect with youth culture. In the US in 2020, McDonald’s launched Famous Orders, a series of campaigns showing the signature orders of celebrities such as Whoopi Goldberg, Millie Bobby Brown, and Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson.
The chain then brought the orders of Travis Scott, J Balvin and Saweetie to restaurants across the US, and (South Korean boyband) BTS’s meal launched globally in 2021. The unifying insight is that ‘No matter how big or famous you are, everyone has a McDonald’s order’, Wieden+Kennedy group strategy director Tass Tsitsopoulos told Contagious. ‘Planners talk a lot about needing to choose between building the brand long term or achieving short-term sales. [...] Famous Orders is one of those rare ideas that can do both. [...] It can drive more brand love, create memories and associations with McDonald’s, but it can also get people in store and boost sales.’
