McDonald’s to offer ‘adult’ meal boxes with bizarre little figurines

(NEXSTAR) — McDonald’s is saving its freakiest toys for the adults.

On Tuesday morning, McDonald’s announced that it had partnered with Cactus Plant Flea Market — a streetwear brand embraced by the likes of Kanye West and Pharrell Williams, among other high-profile fans — to repackage the Happy Meal “experience” for an older audience. The result of their collaboration is the Cactus Plant Flea Market Box: a Happy Meal-style offering packaged with one of four bizarre little figurines.

“We’re taking one of the most nostalgic McDonald’s experiences and literally repackaging it in a new way that’s hyper-relevant for our adult fans,” claims Tariq Hassan, the chief marketing and digital officer for McDonald’s U.S., in a statement included with Tuesday’s news release.

Each meal comes with either a Big Mac or 10-piece McNuggets, as well as fries and a drink. Inside the box, customers will also find one of four figurines — including Grimace, Hamburglar and Birdie — each created in the image of Cactus Buddy, the four-eyed smiley-face mascot for Cactus Plant Flea Market. Cactus Buddy, too, is among the four available figurines.

The box itself has also been designed in the streetwear brand’s “signature style,” according to McDonald’s, featuring imagery of a four-eyed Grimace visiting a McDonald’s alongside Cactus Buddy.

Grimace and Cactus Buddy — the signature mascot for Cactus Plant Flea Market — are pictured on the side of the Cactus Plant Flea Market meal boxes. (McDonald’s)

NewsNation’s Ashleigh Banfield asked her all-star panel including Banfield senior story editor Paula Froelich, Caitlyn Becker, a senior reporter for DailyMail.com, and podcast host Pete Dominick what they think of the toys.

Cactus Plant Flea Market Boxes will be available for in-store, drive-thru, delivery and online customers starting Oct. 3. Those ordering via the McDonald’s app will also be entered for a chance to win exclusive McDonald’s x Cactus Plant Flea Market merchandise, including T-shirts, hoodies, and something called a “Grimace Chair” which was not pictured among the photos included in Tuesday’s release. (Some of this merchandise will also be available to purchase straight from McDonald’s at cpfmmcdonalds.com.)

It’s unclear when the promotion is scheduled to end, but the imagery on the packaging itself appears to offer a hint that the boxes won’t be available for very long.

“Limited edition!” both Grimace and the Cactus Buddy appear to be screaming at the top of their (presumably) four-lunged bodies, according to a speech bubble printed on the box.