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McDonald's Hello Kitty Happy Meal
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
McDonald's launches Hello Kitty & Friends x Godzilla Happy Meal with eight toys on Aug 18. The crossover blends kawaii and kaiju, likely driving collector demand.
Background
McDonald's is introducing a limited-time Happy Meal collaboration combining Sanrio's Hello Kitty characters with monsters from the Godzilla films, starting August 18 at participating US restaurants. The eight toys feature characters like Hello Kitty cosplaying as Godzilla and other creatures. This follows previous successful pop-culture tie-ins, such as Pokémon cards, which attracted collectors and scalpers.
How it unfolded
- Aug 10, 2026McDonald's global brand strategy lead Guillaume Huin teased the collaboration in a video and image on X.
- Aug 12, 2026McDonald's confirmed the full list of eight toys and the special Godzilla-themed box via a graphic.
- Aug 18, 2026The Hello Kitty & Friends x Godzilla Happy Meal becomes available at participating US restaurants for a limited time.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- McDonald's describes the toys as 'the ultimate crossover where Kawaii meets Kaiju, making friends at first bite and proving that even the mightiest monsters have a soft side.'
- Expert
- Guillaume Huin, McDonald's global brand strategy lead, called it 'one of the best collections of Happy Meal toys I've ever seen.'
- Caution
- Polygon notes that past similar collaborations led to scalpers buying in bulk and wasting food, warning this could recur.