Why McDonald’s launching trading cards feels right in 2026

McDonald’s has an undeniable knack for unexpected promos, but birthing a cult‑esque trading‑card campaign might be one of its better ideas.

The campaign feels closer to a Pokémon‑style card‑show staple than a typical fast‑food giveaway.

Devised by creative agency Leo UK, the idea might sound simple on paper, i.e., turn McDonald’s into a collectable trading‑card universe, but in execution, it’s an ambitious, fan‑first experiment.

The campaign plays perfectly to the brand’s strengths. McDonald’s is rich in nostalgia, with the brand playing an important part in many childhood parties and memories (this recent Qatar campaign nods to this). Meanwhile, the company has garnered some organic collectables in recent years - most famously its Shezuhuan Sauce - which it re-released as a limited edition.

On the cards

The campaign centres on 24 original trading cards, each illustrated by artist Danny Flint, capturing recognisable McDonald’s characters, menu items and lore moments as playable collectables.

The set is built like a proper Trading Card Game (TCG) release: there are booster packs, binders, collector tins and a custom digital collector hub that lets users track their collection, unlock behind‑the‑scenes “Maccies” lore, and deepen their relationship with the brand beyond the meal.

Crucially, the team didn’t just slap burgers onto card templates. They invented a new game mechanic that guarantees more prizes, more frequently, with free food tucked into every pack, a twist that makes opening a card‑booster feel less like a gamble and more like a guaranteed win, mirroring the instant‑reward psychology that underpins both McDonald’s and trading‑card culture.

Collector culture

The launch leans fully into collector culture, from in‑person “pack‑pull” events at card shows to the use of Ace Grading slabs and secret gold‑foil cards that feel lifted straight from a limited‑edition TCG drop. This taps into the same emotional sweet spot as Pokémon, Yu‑Gi‑Oh! and sports‑card launches, where scarcity, speculation and display‑pride matter as much as the product itself.

At the heart of the promo is a hero film that brings the “memories that inspired the cards” to life with a comic‑book‑style POW! effect. The spot functions like an origin‑story trailer for the Maccies universe, treating the Ronald‑McDonald‑era and menu‑item nostalgia as a cast of characters ripe for re‑interpretation.

Digital first

With brands like Coca‑Cola and Pokémon embracing digital‑first franchises, cards provide a great way to world-build that audiences embrace.

The combo of collector‑driven merch, limited‑edition tiers and a digital-collectable hub feels like a low barrier to entry, and with McDonald’s having a history of genuinely collectable items, the odds play well for the brand.