- 6 weeks ago
Get ready for a trip down memory lane! Join us as we revisit some of the most iconic and unforgettable McDonald's advertisements that defined the 1990s. From memorable slogans to beloved Happy Meal promotions, these commercials will transport you straight back to a simpler time of fast food, fun, and pure nostalgia. Prepare for a blast from the past that will have you craving a Big Mac and humming those catchy jingles!
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00This teeny-beenie baby-itis, will she outgrow it?
00:02Not necessarily.
00:04Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today, we're counting down our picks for the most memorable throwback McDonald's ads from the 90s.
00:11You know the one, McDonald's!
00:15For food, folks, and fun!
00:18Number 10. Did somebody say McDonald's?
00:21Back in the late 90s, McDonald's saw a decrease in sales.
00:25To turn things around, they came up with a catchy new slogan.
00:28Did somebody say McDonald's?
00:31Did somebody say McDonald's?
00:33Yeah, I said McDonald's. No lie.
00:36Big Macs, quarter-pounders, apple pies and fries.
00:38Have you seen the Oz Deluxe? I can't believe my eyes.
00:40I advise you get to drink super-sized.
00:43To go along with the new motto, they rolled out a series of commercials.
00:47Each included mouth-watering footage of their menu items alongside a hilarious quip, sketch, or silly song.
00:53I hit ten golf balls in the woods. My driver's in there, too.
00:56My best drive all day long was to the drive-thru.
01:00Did somebody say McDonald's?
01:04No matter what the format was, they all had one thing in common.
01:08That single line prompting customers to come in for a meal.
01:11The ads are enough to bring anyone back to a simpler time, when prices were low and the food was delicious.
01:17Not only did the corporation make an impressive financial comeback,
01:20but they also posed a question that some people still ask today.
01:24So what do you guys want for dinner? Blue or pink?
01:27Did somebody say McDonald's?
01:30Number 9. Happy Meal Toys.
01:32When I was a kid, mealtimes were tough.
01:34Walter, don't talk with your mouthful. Don't play with your food.
01:37But now, only at McDonald's, you can buy your kids a Happy Meal.
01:40They've been a core memory for generations.
01:43Not just the delicious food in a Happy Meal, but also the toy that comes with it.
01:47Though they're still advertised today, the ones that aired pre-Y2K just hit different.
01:53Do you have Tamagotchi fever?
01:54If you hang toys from pets, enjoy lasers in secret compartments, you've got it.
01:59And McDonald's has the cure.
02:00There's one keychain toy in every Happy Meal you buy at McDonald's.
02:03McDonald's offered a variety of toys across several iconic 90s movies, games, and trends,
02:09from superheroes to video game characters.
02:11Some of the commercials even featured the characters leaving their art form on the TV screen to go to McDonald's.
02:17To fight evil, Spider-Man will go anywhere, anytime.
02:20A superhero's gotta do what a superhero's gotta do.
02:22Whoa, Spider-Man!
02:24Sorry I can't hang around.
02:26Because the action's at McDonald's.
02:28They're even more fun to look back on now,
02:30bringing back memories related to both the restaurant chain itself,
02:33and the fictional franchises it teamed up with.
02:36With their moody vibe and darker aesthetic,
02:42these ads transported viewers straight into Gotham.
02:45The 1992 promotion for Batman Returns featured aspects of the franchise fans adored,
02:50from devious villains to the Batmobile.
02:52We were just going to McDonald's.
02:54How can we be this lost?
02:56We're not lost here, really.
02:58Come on! The Batmobile!
03:01McDonald's offered a series of collectible cups adorned with characters from the movie.
03:06Along with a fun twist, a lid that also served as a tiny frisbee.
03:10The multi-use item was perfect for customers of all ages,
03:13and seeing the discs fly on screen made them seem even more fun.
03:17You can pick up a large drink in a superhero collector cup for 39 cents more
03:22when you buy any extra value here.
03:24Because what you want is what you get at McDonald's today.
03:28What do you want?
03:29It was the perfect campaign to go with the film.
03:32To this day, full sets of the cups remain coveted by fans and sold online.
03:37Now, Batman Returns is on a dramatic series of collector cups
03:41with frying frisbee bat displays, straight from the movie.
03:44Number 7. Monopoly Game Launch Ads
03:47The chance of winning a huge prize all for the price of a fast food meal?
03:51What could be better than that?
03:52Throughout the late 20th century,
03:54the fast food franchise teamed up with a classic game
03:57to create the McDonald's Monopoly Game, which they advertised on TV.
04:00This Friday, guess what's back at McDonald's?
04:03It's the Monopoly Game!
04:04It's bigger and better than Lifetime, with $10 million in prizes to be won.
04:08So this Friday, go to...
04:09No! Go directly to McDonald's.
04:11Some commercials showed actors navigating a giant game board
04:14and moving past the possible prizes,
04:17while others featured real-life champions and their winnings.
04:2090s kids everywhere can attest to seeing
04:22and being transfixed by the huge awards offered back then,
04:25from computers to cruises.
04:27Winsley Mustang Speedsters instantly!
04:30Apple Macintosh Performance instantly!
04:33And Citibank Goldies shopping sprees instantly!
04:36However, the promotion ended abruptly in 2001,
04:39thanks to a scam run by Jerry Colombo,
04:42who, funnily enough, was in one of the 90s ads.
04:45Number 6. Super Mario Bros. 3 Promotion
04:48From his design down to his catchphrase,
04:51there's no doubt that Mario's one of the most iconic video game characters of all time.
04:56Look who's popping into McDonald's!
04:58It's Mario from Nintendo's new Super Mario Bros. 3 game!
05:02Pairing him with McDonald's was a no-brainer back in 1990,
05:06when the restaurant released their Super Mario Bros. 3 Happy Meal.
05:10Along with the promotion came a series of commercials.
05:13Some showed Tanooki Mario flying around or even stealing some delicious food,
05:17creating a captivating ad for both the meal and the game.
05:20One even showed Ronald McDonald and Grimace in the game,
05:31a crossover that blew the minds of kids everywhere.
05:34Seeing them now may have you reaching for the restaurant's app and your old Game Boy,
05:38and we can't say we blame you.
05:39Now for just $1.99, a Happy Meal comes with a jumping Mario!
05:44Or Luigi on a Clown!
05:47Number 5. Grimace's Birthday
05:50Ronald McDonald's your magical friend
05:53It's Grimace's birthday and Ronald's the one
05:56I hope there's a big cake!
05:58To make it magic, make it fun!
06:00Gen Z may remember this event thanks to the unhinged Grimace shake trend
06:04that took the internet by storm in 2023.
06:07Millennials, on the other hand, may recall a more wholesome version of Grimace's birthday back in 1995.
06:12The special day came with a delightful short that aired along with ads for the restaurant.
06:17It showed Ronald preparing a delicious-looking cake and presents,
06:20all while Grimace excitedly imagined what his friend may have in store for him.
06:24I hope I get purple skates!
06:28Here I come!
06:30It then showed characters from McDonaldland celebrating,
06:33from the Hamburglar to Birdie the Early Bird.
06:35It perfectly captures the whimsical magic of the brand's earlier days,
06:39recalling a period that some wish would return.
06:41Party people!
06:44Who cares?
06:45Who cares?
06:47He's got it!
06:50Number 4.
06:51Happy Birthday Happy Meals
06:53All aboard for McDonald's!
06:55What's coming to McDonald's?
06:57It's our Happy Birthday Happy Meal!
06:5915 of your favorite characters,
07:00one with each Happy Meal you buy.
07:02An iconic item deserves nothing but the ultimate promotion for its anniversary.
07:06To celebrate the 15th birthday of the Happy Meal,
07:09the company rolled out the campaign to end all campaigns,
07:13a series of toys consisting of classic characters that could all be connected to form a giant train.
07:18Ronald's the engineer!
07:20Then Barbies!
07:21Then Snoopy!
07:22It's the Happy Birthday Happy Meal with 15 of your favorite characters!
07:25Everyone from Barbie to Sonic the Hedgehog was included in the ads about the deal,
07:29showing them preparing for a birthday party of epic proportions.
07:32Over a dozen different franchises were included,
07:36ensuring that kids everywhere got to see their preferred character and favorite fast food combined.
07:41There's the Berenstain Bears Hot Wheels Muffet Babies.
07:43Collect all 15 and make a birthday train.
07:46This looks cool!
07:47Thanks Barbie!
07:48Ready to party, guys?
07:49You bet that!
07:50Party on, dude!
07:51Now the commercials serve as reminders for adults everywhere about the movies and games they loved as kids,
07:56and how McDonald's brought them to life.
07:59Number 3.
08:00Space Jam Happy Meal
08:02Just like in the movie, the Looney Tunes characters jumped into the real world in this 1996 campaign.
08:08In order to promote Space Jam and the Happy Meal accompanying it,
08:11McDonald's rolled out a series of ads featuring characters from the flick.
08:14We need some help.
08:16Right away, your airness.
08:18McDonald's!
08:20Behold!
08:23The most memorable show Daffy Duck diving into the real world
08:26and transforming stuffed animal versions of Taz and Lola into their regular cartoon selves.
08:31Others highlighted Michael Jordan and the toys offered with the deal.
08:34Excuse me, aren't you that guy in the movie, Bugs Bunny?
08:38All the Looney Tunes stars from the new movie Space Jam have come together at McDonald's.
08:42There's Bugs, Lola, and more.
08:43Each ad showcased the fun of the movie and the charm of the characters.
08:47Even with the 2021 follow-up, it's hard not to feel nostalgic for the original style.
08:53Space Jam is here and the rush for Space Jam plush is on at McDonald's.
08:57Get Bugs, Taz, and all the others before they're gone.
09:00Just $2.99 each when you buy any McDonald's deluxe or large sandwich.
09:03Number 2.
09:04Food, Folks, and Fun.
09:06We guarantee this jingle will stick in your head long after this video ends.
09:10Food, folks, and fun.
09:12Food, folks, and fun.
09:14You know the one.
09:16McDonald's for food, folks, and fun.
09:19At the start of the 1990s, McDonald's revealed their newest slogan declaring that they were all about three things.
09:25Food, folks, and fun.
09:27The commercials proved it.
09:28Featuring the motto as song lyrics, they showed that McDonald's had every type of food one could ever want.
09:34Mmm, food.
09:35We got hot food, huge food, happy food, and dude food.
09:40We got lunch food, munchity-munch food, not in the greatest mood food.
09:45Several different promotions aired, some of which were aimed at adults and others at kids.
09:50The result was multiple generations getting an era to look back on fondly,
09:54even with the introduction of new campaigns in the years that followed.
09:57Food, folks, and fun.
09:58Get it to go, food.
10:00Food, folks, and fun.
10:01Hey, get your own food.
10:02You know the one.
10:03It's McDonald's.
10:05For food, folks, and fun.
10:07Some people are still holding out hope that the company will return to those values,
10:11both in their ads and in their meals.
10:14Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
10:21You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
10:25If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
10:30Number 1.
10:31The Showdown.
10:33It doesn't get more iconic than this.
10:35If you want to promote your food, then what better way to do it than feature two sports legends competing for it.
10:41What's in the bag?
10:42Lunch.
10:43Big Mac, fries.
10:44Play you for it.
10:47You and me for my Big Mac?
10:49First one to miss watches the winner eat.
10:50In 1993, McDonald's teamed up with Larry Bird and Michael Jordan for some of the best advertisements of all time.
10:57The two athletes shoot baskets in order to win the coveted prize, a Big Mac.
11:01This is for your Big Mac, right?
11:04First one that misses watches the winner eat lunch.
11:06Got it.
11:07Off the glass.
11:09Get in.
11:09Nice shot.
11:10It started out easy enough, but soon the simple shots became trick ones.
11:15Appealing to fans of the players and the restaurant, it was an instant standout during Super Bowl XXVI.
11:20Off the expressway, over the river, off the billboard, through the window, off the wall, nothing but net.
11:29Though McDonald's tried to recreate the magic with new NBA stars in 2010, the 90s original still holds a place in the hearts of adults everywhere.
11:37Which of these iconic promotions was your favorite?
11:40Let us know in the comments below.
Be the first to comment