McDonald's Japan and Xtraordinary Girls Give Gen Z the Ultimate Fan Experience

​McDonald’s Japan, in collaboration with TBWA\HAKUHODO, has successfully leveraged Japan’s thriving fandom culture and the growing role of digital transactions, creating a new model of social commerce, which created record-breaking engagement and sales.

Fandom Feast: McDonald’s Live Party (#リアタイマクパ) is a first-of-its-kind campaign, which seamlessly integrates fandom culture, digital commerce, and interactive live experiences. The platform marks McDonald’s Japan’s first major initiative aimed at gen z, strategically designed to expand usage of Mobile Order & Pay, which currently represents 20% of transactions – one of the highest adoption rates among global McDonald’s markets.

McDonald’s Japan partnered with XG (Xtraordinary Girls), the internationally acclaimed all-Japanese girl group known for their X-POP sound, to create an immersive fan experience, resulting in the unveiling of the XG Bundle Menu – a first-of-its-kind collaboration for the brand across McDonald’s Japan’s official social channels, which XG completely took over.

The ground breaking campaign brought fans together with their favourite artists, in real time - both virtually and in person, as lucky fans were extended an invitation to join XG in the recording studio to participate in a real-world experience, all while enjoying the very same McDonald's meals their idols love.

Said Kyoko Yonezawa, head of innovation at TBWA\HAKUHODO and executive creative director for the campaign, states, “Imagine sharing a meal with your favourite artist, enjoying the same tastes at the same time, no matter where you are. Thanks to McDonald’s and their universally beloved menu, that dream became a reality.

'‘Fandom Feast’ is a new entertainment platform, which merges fandom culture with the joy of sharing a meal together. Kicking off our collaboration with XG, our goal was to break the boundaries between digital and real-world connections, creating new ways for fans to engage with the people they admire. We’re excited to see how ‘Fandom Feast’ will bring people together and set new heights in fandom culture.”

Beyond driving strong viewership across YouTube and TikTok, the campaign also delivered a sales boost, reinforcing the effectiveness of fandom-driven commerce.

On the day of the second live-streaming event, sales of the special artist-curated Galaxy Set - featuring each member’s favourite McDonald's items rose by 53% compared to the previous day, within the first 24 hours.

Additionally, the McFry coupon promotion, featured during the first live-streaming event, recorded the second-highest number of redemptions in the campaign’s history - surpassed only by its all-time peak during the initial launch of the campaign.

The McFry coupon, already one of the most popular offers, gained even more traction through this initiative, further fuelling excitement and engagement around the event.

Fandom Feast revitalised and reimagined McDonald’s as a fan-driven social experience. While many past McDonald’s campaigns focused on when and where people eat, this initiative introduced a new dimension - who you eat with and what you eat. The special sets weren’t made from new products, but from existing McDonald’s menu items—made special through the emotional connection between each artist and their fans. This approach not only deepened fan engagement but also proved to be a scalable and repeatable platform for future campaigns.

The successful sales performance demonstrated the potential of artist-driven social commerce on brand channels.

This organic momentum was evident across social media, where fans naturally gathered to host their own McDonald’s-themed viewing parties, similar to movie nights or birthday celebrations. Previously, food choices in these gatherings were often random and varied, but for the first time, McDonald’s meals became the centerpiece, unifying the fan experience and creating a shared dining culture centered around the brand.

Fandom Feast successfully positioned McDonald’s Japan as a core part of fan-driven gatherings, securing a new space within fandom culture. The brand is no longer perceived as just a fast-food option but a central element of the fandom experience, reinforcing its connection with passionate communities and strengthening its presence in Japan’s evolving social commerce landscape.

This scalable model is designed as a framework that can be adapted with different artists over time, continuously amplifying McDonald’s Japan’s role in social commerce and fandom-driven brand engagement.