McDonald’s (MCD) It has a deep history of past products and specials that fans of the brand will remember fondly. Often the series ignores this simply because some of the previously loved items or shows have disappeared for some reason.
The chain, for example, dropped its all-day breakfast and apple fritters due to the orders those products placed on the company’s kitchens. In other cases, it didn’t bring back previous roster shows because while a small portion of its fan base liked the product, it wasn’t actually a hit the first time around (McSalad Shakers and Arch Deluxe fall into that group).
In recent months, McDonald’s has turned to fan service by bringing back the beloved Szechuan sauce, and at least tested the return of the steak bagel breakfast sandwich. The chain has also harassed/provoked its customers by posting a โre-___โ on Twitter (which sparked tens of thousands of responses) and posting a second tweet suggesting that โSnack Wrapsโ is probably the most requested item on the suspended list it has brought back.
And now, there are indications that the series is planning to bring back the Halloween favorite that hasn’t been seen since 2016.
McDonald’s has a trick (or cure) up its sleeve
A number of news outlets have reported that McDonald’s is planning to bring back a version of its famous Halloween buckets. The company did not confirm this and did not immediately respond to a request from Veronica Bondarenko of TheStreet for comment.
A reported image of the 2022 edition of Halloween Buckets, originally called McPunk’n, McBoo and McGoblin, appeared on the markie_devo Instagram account, which is a generally reliable source when it comes to food- and snack-based news.
Oct 18 McDonald’s Halloween Buckets are back.
There are 3 designs
– Only 1 will be in the store at a time
The bucket serves as a toy and the Happy Meal box.I have to disclose again.. McDonald’s has neither confirmed nor denied it
McDonald’s has not issued any public comment on the potential return.
McDonald’s tends to nostalgia
While its competitors aggressively change their menus and use limited-time offers (LTOs), McDonald’s has been more careful. It has a few items that bring back seasonally like the Shamrock Shake, but overall it keeps its menu more consistent than its competitors Restaurant Brands International’s (QSR) Burger King and Wendy’s (wen) .
Sure, McDonald’s is adding new items, but it’s generally attempts to expand the chain’s menu, not long-term watchers. Over the past two years, due in part to the pandemic, McDonald’s has kept its new products and LTO offerings very few, focusing instead on celebrity meals and menu hacks that don’t really add any new products to the chain’s offerings.
Bringing back the Halloween buckets would be a return to something McDonald’s used to do quite often – the special giveaway. At various times over the years, the series has offered Coca-Cola glasses, several Happy Meal games associated with the big movies, and even a selection of Star Wars items.
The challenge to the fast food giant was that putting a toy in a Happy Meal was seen as an inappropriate way to entice children to eat unhealthy food. And environmentalists were not enthusiastic about the toy chain, which basically put disposable plastic toys in its diet.
Halloween buckets are a kind of clever leveling. It’s reusable (and can be used for storage) and Halloween already includes kids eating lots of candy. Giving them McDonald’s a bucket to collect that candy doesn’t really make things worse.
Mostly, if this really happens, it shows that the series has started to listen to its fans and that when practical, they might be happy to bring back things from the past. It might not bring the Snack Wraps back (they add sophistication in the kitchen) but it does open the door for other items to come back.
