Granted, it might seem strange for fast food giant McDonald’s (MCD) to team up with Netflix (NFLX) and produce a Happy Meal around the new animated series Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, but that is exactly what happened recently. Animated series in general have long been fodder for McDonald’s promotions, though this one might be a little adult-leaning. Investors had few qualms, meanwhile, based on the 1.5% boost they gave McDonald’s shares in Monday afternoon’s trading.
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The partnership begins at the Happy Meal box, which by itself will carry plenty of series-related artwork. Characters from the series will be made into collectible toys, with two new characters coming out each week to encourage repeat visits. A Stranger Things activity book will show up, and a QR code will open up a game that lets players work to save Hawkins from the various threats facing it in the series.
Look for this Happy Meal to hit May 5 in the United States, while a global launch will follow in the weeks ahead, reports note. Those who want to catch the Netflix series, meanwhile, need only fire up the app on their platform of choice. The series is already running, with all 10 episodes available to stream.
More Change Incoming
Meanwhile, reports note that McDonald’s is about to get hit by a set of sweeping changes that will show up throughout this year. One point is a “secret menu” that will call on several random online creations that vary by region. The United Kingdom, for example, will get a Surf N’ Turf burger. That is a double cheeseburger with a Filet-o-Fish pollock square added. A Pokemon anniversary meal is also suggested to be on the way.
Rounding out the new options, new drinks are also set to arrive like the dirty soda combinations, as well as new rules about dipping sauces. Finally, McDonald’s is said to be assembling a “Restaurant Experience Team” to further shake up the operation and focus on growth. How well that will work remains to be seen.
Is McDonald’s Stock a Good Buy?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus rating on MCD stock based on 14 Buys and 12 Holds assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 5.51% loss in its share price over the past year, the average MCD price target of $347.78 per share implies 18.29% upside potential.
