McDonald’s Australia and McDonald’s New Zealand have announced a SpongeBob × One Piece toy collection for the Happy Meal. The characters from the animated series *SpongeBob SquarePants* will be given the looks of characters from the pirate manga and anime. Twelve figures have been announced for New Zealand, and ten for Australia.
Briefly about the main points
- McDonald’s has announced a SpongeBob × One Piece collaboration for the Happy Meal.
- The New Zealand collection comprises 12 figurines.
- The Australian trailer currently features ten characters.
- The launch of the campaign in both countries is listed as «coming soon».
- McDonald’s Ukraine has not announced a local launch of the range.
The characters from Bikini Bottom dressed as pirates
The concept behind the series is based on bringing together characters from the two franchises. SpongeBob will appear wearing a straw hat and Luffy’s outfit, Patrick will be dressed as Zoro with swords, and Squidward will be dressed as Sanji. A separate SpongeBob figure, modelled on Luffy’s Gear 5, will also be released.
On the official page McDonald's New Zealand is represented by 12 characters. This format may appeal not only to children but also to collectors: according to the franchise’s official website, the worldwide circulation of the One Piece manga exceeded 600 million copies in March.
- SpongeBob × Luffy and SpongeBob × Luffy Gear 5
- Patrick × Zoro, Sandy × Nami and Squidward × Sanji
- Plankton × Usopp, Gary × Chopper and Pearl × Robin
- Larry × Frankie, Mrs Puff × Linlin, The Flying Dutchman × Tich and Mr Krabs × Jimbei
The content will depend on the market
The Australian Toy Zone website has also posted a «Coming soon» announcement, but it shows ten figures. Among those missing from this set are Larry × Frankie and Sandy × Nami. This suggests that the contents of the series may vary from country to country.
In every Happy Meal You will be able to receive one toy or book. The offer will be valid for a limited time at participating restaurants, whilst stocks last. McDonald’s traditionally releases toys in series, so the availability of specific characters may depend on the promotion period.
The company has not yet announced a specific launch date for Australia and New Zealand. As of 29 July, there is no local announcement or details of this collection on the official McDonald’s Ukraine website.
A licensed crossover between two franchises
The Australian promotional material features the logos of the copyright holders of *One Piece* and *SpongeBob SquarePants*. The combination of recognisable characters from Bikini Bottom with members of Luffy’s crew is part of a licensed promotional campaign, not a fan-made series.
McDonald’s has not yet announced a global launch. Consequently, the announcements for Australia and New Zealand do not mean that the toys will automatically be available in the US, Europe or Ukraine.
