McDonald’s reprises the McNugget Buddies after more than 25 years.Photo:McDonalds X Kerwin Frost

McDonalds X Kerwin Frost
McDonald’swants you to play with your food, or at least your food-shaped toys.
After more than 25 years off the market, the fast food mavericks are bringing back McNugget Buddies: the nostalgic Happy Meal collectibles.
Starting on Dec. 11, six different McNugget Buddy collectibles, each with different outfits and backstories, will be available at McDonald’s nationwide. The toys’ reprisal comes in partnership with New York City-based artistKerwin Frost, who helpedredesign the mascotsand created a meal for fans to order.
Artist Kerwin Frost partnered with McDonald’s to create the toys and meal.McDonalds X Kerwin Frost

The Kerwin Frost Box includes one McNugget Buddy, fries, a soft drink and your choice of 10-piece McNuggets or a Big Mac. Plus, merch from the partnership will be availableonlinestarting on Dec. 11, while supplies last.
McDonald’s loves reprising previous menu items and Happy Meal toys.
After the famousMcRib— consisting of boneless pork slathered in barbecue sauce and topped with slivered onions and dill pickles on a hoagie-style bun —went on a “McRib Farewell Tour” last October, thefast foodspot decided to bring the beloved menu item back at select locations for a limited time only this month.
And in October, McDonald’sreintroduced Boo Bucketsfor Halloween.
The Halloween-themed pails, which can later be used for trick-or-treating, made their official return in the middle of October, the fast food chainannounced.The festive buckets, first introduced in 1986, returned in 2022 for the first time since 2016.
In one of McDonald’s most viral moments of this year, the brand honored Grimace, a big purple mascot introduced in 1972, with a limited-time menu item.
McDonald’s celebrated Grimace’s 52nd birthday with a special called Grimace’s Birthday Meal, which came with a purple milkshake, the choice of a Big Mac or 10-piece chicken nuggets and medium fries. But the shake caught the world’s attention.
The milkshake became an internet sensation and Grimace (who is actually an enormous taste bud) was the face of the"Grimace Shake" trendon TikTok, where users created mini horror movies mocking the effects of drinking the new McDonald’s milkshake.
While the trend likely isn’t whatMcDonald’shad in mind when they dropped the shake, the company played along. Two weeks after releasing the special menu item, the fast food chain shared a close-up of the furry mascot onInstagram. “Mee pretending i don’t see the grimace shake trendd,” the post reads.
source: people.com