“KPop Demon Hunters” is getting even more “Golden” — golden arches, that is.
The mega-popular film may have just capped off its awards season with two Oscar wins, but the mania surrounding Netflix’s biggest-ever hit isn’t going anywhere, thanks in part to a fan-forward collaboration with (ba-da-ba-ba-ba!) McDonald’s.
Much like the film’s premise, the specialty fast food meals ignite a “Battle for the Fans” between the divas of Huntr/x and the demons of the Saja Boys.
I stopped by McDonald’s and Netflix’s downtown LA launch event for the meals on Thursday night to see if the menu additions were worthy of my favorite animated trio.
But before I could even make it to pick up my adult-sized happy meal, I was struck by an image I’ll simply never forget: Grimace absolutely busting a move to “Internet Girl” by Katseye. If Huntr/x ever needs a fourth member, I know who they should call.
Once I tore my eyes away from Grimace, I opted for the Huntr/x meal, which included classic McNuggets, plus “Ramyeon shaker fries” and two themed sauces.
Despite its bright purple color, the “demon sauce” mostly tasted like vinegar (it’s meant to be a “bold mustard” flavor), but the “hunter sauce” brought some sweet heat that hit the spot — it reminded me of a sweet and sour sauce with a little more of a kick.
But the real star was the shaker fries — picture the tiny flavor packet that comes in a package of Top Ramen, mix that with the salty goodness of McDonalds’ golden fries, and shake, shake, shake! These should be permanent menu additions, if you ask me.
The high energy event at the Bellwether also included dance contests for fans (many of whom were decked out in full costumes), merch giveaways and a special appearance from Ronald McDonald himself (I’m still starstruck!!!).
Before the party, I caught up with Netflix’s VP of Global Brand Marketing and Partnerships, Magno Herran, to learn more about how the collab came to be.
“McDonald’s wanted to play and not just create a meal, but give fans more stories to talk about so they can continue their journey with the title,” Herran says, citing the bespoke content that the film’s animators created featuring the movie’s characters interacting with the real-life products. It’s his hope that future collaborations remain similarly thoughtful in ways that advance the IP forward.
“As we head throughout the year and into next year, you’ll see a lot more of these things pop up, because we want to make sure fans have more to come back to. We’re working on on more animation, and so we have to make sure that we keep that storytelling and the characters alive,” he says. “For us, it’s not going to be about quantity. It’s going to be about who wants to take a big step like McDonald’s did, and how do we do it in a way that does the fans justice?”
