20 Nostalgic Collectibles From the Golden Age of Fast-Food Movie Tie-Ins
Remember fast-food kids meals with specially marketed pop culture toys? They just don’t make ‘em like they used to. In the 1990s, Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, and Burger King often chose chaos with their tie-ins, like the Batman Forever glass mugs or the Hercules plates. Heck, even when big event films like the Star Wars prequels came out, fast food mascots like the Taco Bell chihuahua and KFC’s Colonel would get their own in-universe sagas.
io9 looks back on some of the most impressive and random toys, cups, and other movie tie-ins that were born out of sheer ingenuity to entice kids and their parents to chow down. Anyone else getting flashbacks of being at those combination KFC-Taco Bell-Pizza Huts? Those were the crossovers to beat in the ‘90s.
Batman Forever - McDonald’s
Honey, honey, get out the fine glassware. We have company. pic.twitter.com/Rpg3SKbvta
— “Thicc Bockwinkel” Peter Melnick (@PeterMelnick) January 12, 2023
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace - KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut
In honor of Star Wars Episode 1 Phantom Menace turning 22, here’s a photo of the kids meal toys 8 year old me was obsessed with. Pizza Hut, KFC, and Taco Bell put on a clinic in 1999!! #StarWars pic.twitter.com/EjpLIi5h9t
— Dave Doc (@DDoc42) May 19, 2021
Commercial for Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut in-universe Star Wars heroes
1999 TV commercial for Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut's promotion for Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. #MayThe4thBeWithYou #StarWarsDay pic.twitter.com/V8c8vkiNtB
— NBA Jam (the book) (@nbajambook) May 4, 2021
Pokémon toys - Burger King
The Pokémon toys Burger King gave away in 1999 is still the greatest set of kids meal toys ever.
(until the Poké Balls got recalled) https://t.co/Jkk96n5TGt pic.twitter.com/8L9Hjrc5wm— Gushing Over Mushrooms @ 2D women enjoyer (@ShroomMeister) April 27, 2023
Pokémon gold-plated trading cards - Burger King
Pokémon gold-plated trading cards from Burger King (1999) pic.twitter.com/YzuAiCQ8Ih
— Nostalgia From Your Childhood (@NostalgiaFolder) December 20, 2023
The Rugrats Movie watches - Burger King
Rugrats movie watches from Burger King pic.twitter.com/OCsOOtysvQ
— Nostalgia From Your Childhood (@NostalgiaFolder) July 15, 2023
Disney movie mini-clamshell VHS toys - McDonald’s
McDonalds made little VHS tapes replicas of Disney movies and when you opened it you had the toy. https://t.co/mBfvJfemb7 pic.twitter.com/vOjE9SRCRZ
— Arturo Torres (@arturodraws) July 29, 2023
Hercules plates - McDonald’s
When I was a kid, Disney’s Hercules came out and McDonalds ran a promotion where you could buy Hercules-themed plates. You know, these: pic.twitter.com/cGJGoJjGWX
— Kory Bing (@korybing) December 26, 2020
Walt Disney Animation cups - McDonald’s
McDonalds Collectable Disney Cups pic.twitter.com/TljlJPLdiK
— nostalgia (@nostalgia_thing) April 27, 2017
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie - McDonald’s
You must judge someone not by how they treat their superiors, but by how they treat their Power Rangers McDonalds' Toys (2003) pic.twitter.com/yCbWeqslKD
— Jacque à lunettes (@JackFrankMurphy) January 31, 2022
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie - McDonald’s
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie was released on June 30, 1995, with McDonalds running a Happy Meal toys promotion in conjunction with the films release. pic.twitter.com/G43lZDIUZa
— Killer Toys (@reactionfigure) June 30, 2020
Back to the Future - McDonald’s
Back To The Future happy meal toys #90s #backtothefuture #martyshoverboard #docsdelorean #mcdonalds #happymealtoys pic.twitter.com/A8vTDyhpVB
— Hilary (@hilary_hildo13) July 3, 2023
Universal Pictures and Amblin films - McDonald’s
Streaming is cool but once upon a time you could buy Back To the Future at McDonalds for the price of a Big Mac. pic.twitter.com/iOaEun091j
— Jordan Blum (@BlumJordan) September 17, 2022
The Addams Family VHS - McDonald’s
My mom found one of the first movies I’ve ever owned and well are you really surprised? Anyone else get movies from McDonalds? I also had Back to the Future from there too. 😂 pic.twitter.com/F6D4Jg7l66
— Sabina Graves (@SabinaHasNoR) December 15, 2021
Stan Lee and Backstreet Boys unreleased comic - Burger King
Never not thinking about the Backstreet Boys Burger King toys that were supposed to tie into a digital comic series from Stan Lee but ultimately never saw the light of day. pic.twitter.com/xmb3CqiODp
— Neil McNeil (@Neil_McNeil) November 13, 2023
The Simpsons spooky collection - Burger King commercial
Burger King: The Simpsons Spooky Light-Ups (2001, USA) - Man, Burger King used to do such cool kids toys 🍔👻 pic.twitter.com/6J5Lk60j8U
— The Simpsons Theory (@SimpsonsTheory) October 18, 2023
The Universal Monsters - Burger King
Here's something special. This is the poster that hung inside Burger King restaurants to promote their Universal Monsters figures back in 1997. (Some of the best fast food toys of all time!) pic.twitter.com/3O3Wx2hLCB
— Dinosaur Dracula (@DinosaurDracula) October 19, 2023
Small Soldiers - Burger King
This was one of my childhood favorites! I collected all the Burger King toys. https://t.co/uUWKhpnsUd pic.twitter.com/98bjWVhYZu
— Sammie-Doo, Where Are You! Kuykendall (@srkdall) July 12, 2023
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - Burger King
I was obsessed with trying to collect all of the Burger King Revenge of the Sith toys as a kid 😭 pic.twitter.com/kKWS0JHxZL
— Patrick The Hutt (@patrickthehutt) April 26, 2023
Beetlejuice - Burger King
Remember these #Beetlejuice Burger King kid's meal toys based on the animated series? pic.twitter.com/A6Q6vZdsys
— Mark Sundstrom (@106th) August 27, 2023
Looney Tunes DC mashups - McDonald’s
My absolute favorite Happy Meal toys as a kid were the #dccomics and #LooneyTunes mashup figures. Recently Burger King brought the concept back in a big way, so I wrote an article for @TRNsocial comparing the two collections. Check it out now https://t.co/m9clw5qqV8 pic.twitter.com/WaK4GfWe3V
— Adam aka Hoju Koolander (@hojukoolander) August 7, 2023
Space Jam - McDonald’s
The SPACE JAM Happy Meal featured eight characters that connected together to make a basketball court. Curiously, Michael Jordan was featured on the translite sign even though he wasn’t represented on a toy. (1996) pic.twitter.com/DnE86suVZw
— Consumer Time Capsule (@consumertc) August 6, 2023
Space Jam plushes - McDonald’s
For Sale : 1996 McDonalds Space Jam Plush Toys pic.twitter.com/e3WSoHTxXj
— Small Shop Hype (@CarpeVinum_) June 18, 2021
Wild Wild West - Burger King
Fuck it, WILD WILD WEST Burger King toys pic.twitter.com/drCq9pJ6T3
— 🦷Mackenzie🦷 (@formalsorcery) January 19, 2020
Spider-Man 3 - Burger King
The SPIDER-MAN 3 Burger King toys walked so Funko POP! could run pic.twitter.com/hgOrPsyMrd
— Dalton (@RedDragon733) February 1, 2021
Do you own any of these throwback movie tie-in products? Show us in the comments below!
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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