# Mcdonalds Adult Happy Meals > McDonald's Adult Happy Meals is a 2022 collaboration with streetwear brand Cactus Plant Flea Market that sparked viral memes for the Grimace toy's resemblance to a sex toy. McDonald's Adult Happy Meals was a limited-time promotion launched on October 3, 2022, in collaboration with streetwear brand Cactus Plant Flea Market, offering grown-ups their own version of the iconic kids' meal complete with collectible toys. The campaign sparked a wave of memes on Twitter and Instagram, with jokes largely centered on the Grimace paperweight toy's resemblance to a sex toy. The promotion drove a 37% spike in foot traffic to McDonald's locations and outperformed even the chain's Travis Scott and J Balvin celebrity meal collaborations[3]. ## Origin Jokes about McDonald's serving "adult" Happy Meals predate the actual promotion by years. On April 19, 2019, Twitter user e4moji posted a joke imagining an Adult Happy Meal that included something called a "McVibrator," picking up over 190 likes[4]. The real promotion was announced on September 27, 2022, when McDonald's posted a carousel on its Instagram account revealing the Cactus Plant Flea Market collaboration[4]. The post pulled in roughly 113,700 likes over its first week. Tariq Hassan, McDonald's USA Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer, framed the campaign as "taking one of the most nostalgic McDonald's experiences and literally repackaging it in a new way that's hyper-relevant for our adult fans"[1]. Cactus Plant Flea Market, founded by Cynthia Lu, had built its reputation through collaborations with Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, and Chance The Rapper[2]. Hoodies from the brand were already reselling for up to $1,000 on StockX before the McDonald's deal[2]. - **Platform:** McDonald's Instagram (announcement), Twitter (meme spread) - **Creator:** McDonald's USA, Cactus Plant Flea Market (Cynthia Lu, founder), community-created memes - **Date:** 2022 ## Overview McDonald's Adult Happy Meals refers to a promotional meal box sold at McDonald's restaurants from October 3 through October 30, 2022. Created in partnership with the streetwear label Cactus Plant Flea Market, the box gave adults a nostalgia-driven version of the Happy Meal, complete with a main entree (Big Mac or 10-piece Chicken McNuggets), fries, a drink, and one of four collectible figurines[5]. The toys were redesigned versions of classic McDonald's mascots: Grimace, the Hamburglar, and Birdie, along with a new character called Cactus Buddy exclusive to the collaboration[1]. Online, the promotion became meme fuel almost immediately. Jokes ranged from nostalgic "you ordered your last Happy Meal and didn't even know it" sentimentality to NSFW humor about the Grimace figurine's suggestive shape[4]. The memes turned a corporate marketing campaign into one of the most talked-about fast food moments of 2022. ## How It Spread News outlets picked up the announcement on September 28, 2022. NPR, the New York Post, and Barstool Sports all ran stories about the upcoming adult meals[1][2]. Barstool's tweet that day pulled roughly 26,300 likes in six days[4]. When the boxes hit stores on October 3, social media lit up. Twitter user Wizzrobe posted photos of his meal and collected over 855 likes in a single day[4]. But the breakout meme moment came on October 4 when Twitter user 97Vercetti tweeted a photo of the Grimace paperweight toy with the caption "these McDonalds adult happy meals are getting out of hand," gaining approximately 58,800 likes in under 24 hours[4]. The Grimace toy's shape drew immediate comparisons to a butt plug and dildo, and the joke spread rapidly across Twitter and Reddit. The demand overwhelmed McDonald's operations. New traffic analytics showed foot traffic to McDonald's locations spiked 37% during the week of October 3 compared to the same period in 2021, and 29% higher than the same week in 2019[3]. Neither the Travis Scott Meal nor the J Balvin Meal had driven comparable surges, and the Travis Scott collaboration had already been popular enough to cause a Quarter Pounder shortage[3]. Beyond the meal itself, Cactus Plant Flea Market launched an online merchandise store with branded streetwear and $250 plush versions of the four-eyed Happy Meal characters. Nothing in the store cost less than $60, and every item sold out[3]. Customers who purchased through the McDonald's app were automatically entered into weekly sweepstakes for exclusive merch including T-shirts and a Grimace chair[5]. The medium Cactus Plant Flea Market Box cost $12.29, with a large option running $0.60 more. It was only available after 11 a.m. at participating locations[5]. ## How to Use The meme format typically works in a few ways: - **Suggestive toy jokes:** Post a photo of the Grimace figurine (or any oddly shaped fast food toy) and imply it looks like an adult product. Caption with something like "these adult happy meals are getting out of hand." - **Nostalgia bait:** Use McDonald's own marketing line about ordering your "last Happy Meal" as a setup for jokes about growing up, depression, or dark humor. - **Hypothetical adult meals:** Imagine what an "Adult Happy Meal" would actually contain (alcohol, antidepressants, divorce papers, etc.). This format predates the actual promotion and still works as a standalone joke. - **Hype beast mockery:** Post images of people frantically collecting the toys or paying resale prices, and compare it to Supreme drops or sneaker culture. ## Cultural Impact The promotion was a massive financial win for McDonald's. With boxes priced around $12, a few dollars above a typical combo meal, and traffic surging nearly 40%, the revenue impact was staggering[3]. For context, Travis Scott reportedly made an estimated $5 million from his McDonald's endorsement deal and $15 million from associated merch sales. Data suggested the CPFM promotion outperformed even those numbers[3]. The campaign fit into McDonald's broader "Accelerating the Arches" growth strategy, launched in 2020, which aimed to connect its core menu items with a new generation through celebrity partnerships like the Travis Scott Meal (2020) and the BTS Meal (2021)[1][2]. The Adult Happy Meal was the most successful execution of that strategy by traffic metrics. The secondary market also played a role. Collectible toys appeared on resale sites almost immediately, and the CPFM branded merchandise sold out within hours of going live[3]. ## Fun Facts - Happy Meals have existed since 1979, but the 2022 CPFM box was the first time McDonald's officially marketed one to adults[5]. - The promotion was only available after 11 a.m., cutting out the breakfast crowd entirely[5]. - Customers could choose between two sauces out of 10 options with their McNuggets box[5]. - Cactus Plant Flea Market had previously caught attention when Kanye West was photographed wearing a long-sleeved CPFM shirt that read "Adult Films" in 2016[2]. - The promotion's traffic spike even exceeded pre-pandemic (2019) levels, not just post-COVID numbers[3]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is McDonald's Adult Happy Meals? McDonald's Adult Happy Meals was a limited-time promotion in October 2022 where McDonald's partnered with streetwear brand Cactus Plant Flea Market to sell Happy Meal-style boxes to adults, complete with collectible toys[1]. ### Where did McDonald's Adult Happy Meals come from? McDonald's announced the collaboration on its Instagram account on September 27, 2022, with the boxes going on sale at participating locations starting October 3[4]. ### What does the McDonald's Adult Happy Meals meme mean? The memes largely revolve around the Grimace figurine toy's resemblance to a sex toy, with jokes imagining what an "adult" Happy Meal would really contain[4]. ### How do you use the McDonald's Adult Happy Meals meme? Post a photo of the Grimace toy (or similar suggestive-looking object) and joke about it being an "adult" toy, or imagine absurd items that would come in a grown-up Happy Meal[4]. ### Is McDonald's Adult Happy Meals still popular? The promotion ended October 30, 2022, and the memes peaked around that same window. The format is largely dead as a meme trend, though the Grimace toy images still surface occasionally[3]. ### How much did the Adult Happy Meal cost? A medium Cactus Plant Flea Market Box cost $12.29, and a large box cost $12.89. Both options included an entree, fries, a drink, and a collectible toy[5]. ### What toys came in the Adult Happy Meal? Each box included one of four collectible figurines: Grimace, the Hamburglar, Birdie, or Cactus Buddy (a character exclusive to the CPFM collaboration)[1]. ### How successful was the promotion? Foot traffic to McDonald's locations spiked 37% during the launch week compared to the same period in 2021, outperforming every previous McDonald's celebrity meal collaboration[3]. ### What is Cactus Plant Flea Market? Cactus Plant Flea Market is a streetwear brand founded by Cynthia Lu, known for collaborations with Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, and Chance The Rapper. Their hoodies resell for up to $1,000[2]. ### Did McDonald's sell CPFM merchandise too? Yes. Cactus Plant Flea Market launched an online store alongside the promotion, selling branded streetwear and $250 plush toys. Every item sold out[3]. ## References 1. [McDonalds will offer adult Happy Meals this October : NPR]() 2. [McDonald's teams up with streetwear label to launch Happy Meals for adults]() 3. [McDonald's Adult Happy Meals Are More Profitable Than You Could Imagine]() 4. [McDonald's Adult Happy Meals - Know Your Meme]() 5. [A Minecraft Movie]() 6. [McDonald’s Happy Meal for Adults: How Much Is It and What’s in Cactus Plant Flea Market Box? – NBC New York]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/mcdonalds-adult-happy-meals Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library