The return of McDonaldland: Nostalgic campaign includes festive apparel and merch collab with Pacsun

The surprise comeback of the McDonaldland characters has now extended onto the shelves of Pacsun stores. I take you on a tour.

I’m lovin’ it — the McDonaldland campaign, that is, and how its distills the forgotten charms of the MCU — the McDonaldland Character Universe. (Apologies to Marvel for the MCU appropriation!)

For a fanboy like me, the McDonaldland campaign is all such a thrill and a welcome surprise. I’ve spent years stopping at McDonald’s restaurants, looking for increasingly elusive traces of Grimace, the Hamburglar, and of course, Ronald McDonald himself, and so the swirl of products and marketing around the McDonaldland Meal is checking all the boxes for nostalgic souls — and sparking a case of the feels.

The first step in the rollout of the campaign hit on Tuesday, with the drop of the McDonaldland Meal. On Thursday, the Pacsun McDonaldland partnership was kicked off in New York City, and I swung by the flagship Pacsun store on Broadway in SoHo to check out the launch event.

There is a ton of delightful merch for sale at the store, as well as Instagram-friendly product displays. The event featured a McDonaldland photo booth, claw machine, and a DJ spinning tunes. For the peckish, there was a booth with free fries, and a truck parked outside keeping the savory supply hot and fresh.

According to Pacsun, the collaboration includes:

For women, sweat sets with zip-ups, hoodies, pants, and mini shorts, paired with baby tees and playful accessories like barrettes, claw clips, scrunchies, and totes. Articles highlight colorful, intricate graphics inspired by distinctive characters, like Grimace and the Hamburglar, and imaginative landscapes from the original 1970s fantastical world shown in ads and films.

The men’s assortment includes oversized graphic tees, heavyweight hoodies, structured denim jackets and shorts, and corduroy hats, each designed to evoke vintage travel merchandise and landmark souvenirs from the fictional lands like Fry Friends Field, Apple Pie Orchards, and Mt. McDonaldland. Design elements reference classic postcard graphics and fictional team logos, turning each piece into a wearable keepsake from a world reimagined.

Beyond apparel, the drop will feature unexpected accessories for all including snapback and bucket hats, high socks, license plate frames, floor rugs, a knitted blanket, doormat, and more all in theme with McDonaldland motifs and characters.

Learn more here.

Now, enjoy some of my snaps from Thursday’s event: