All 6 McNugget Buddies Toys Featured In McDonald's Kerwin Frost Adult Happy Meal, Explained
If you're going to bring a blast of modern energy to the concept of a Happy Meal, influencer Kerwin Frost is a perfect partner to pair up with. And you might as well make it an Adult Happy Meal while you're at it, complete with glammed-up toys to entice the Millennial and Gen Z set. Frost is a creative wizard of sorts, a multi-hyphenate artist-DJ-performer-designer, and a New York wunderkind when it comes to making a visual impact. In 2022, McDonald's approached him to reinvent McNugget Buddies, bringing the popular mix-and-match figures from the late '80s into the 21st century with a fresh look and a contemporary sense of fun. Fast forward to 2023, and the Kerwin Frost Box is the result of this commercial and creative teaming.
Why would McD's draw a dotted line directly to a connection with Frost? This artful move comes as McDonald's takes steps to modernize operations, on the heels of the launch of CosMc's, a drinks-only chain the fast-food juggernaut is testing in limited markets. Frost being part of the avant-garde gives McDonald's a chance to shake off some of the ho-hum in favor of a more exciting and fun-filled menu item. And since Frost's fanciful McNugget Buddies are new to the fast-food collectibles scene, we're eager to get to know each of the six characters a little better. They may look familiar at their core, but their swag is on point and their plucky attitudes are giving.
Kerwin Frost
If you know Kerwin Frost's personal style, you may recognize the pencil tattoo, the tight top hat and the fluffy jacket that adorn this super stylish McNugget. Yes, one of the McNugget Buddies characters Kerwin Frost included in his collection is ... Kerwin Frost! His visual flair lends easily to a cartoonish toy character, so why wouldn't he immortalize himself in Happy Meal toy form? As described in his bio on the McDonald's website, this snazzy buddy is Mayor of Frost Way, the imaginary town where the Buddies reside. He's a hype man for a new era; rather than striving for perfection, Frost is a purveyor of originality in all pursuits, and he staunchly advocates for the same in his fellow Buddies — not a bad philosophy for a fast food toy!
For anyone interested in emulating the Kerwin Frost McNugget Buddy in real life — and, by extension, emulating Kerwin Frost himself — the designer also created full-sized human shoes in the style of his Happy Meal doppelganger. Shiny pairs of googly-eyed Fry Guy clogs may hit the market soon. For now, they're a special release only provided to fellow influencers and select industry luminaries, likely in hopes of sparking a viral sensation. If Crocs can do it, why can't Kerwin Frost?
Waffutu
When your title is The Princess of Positivity, as Waffutu's is, your path in life is pretty much set. This adorable queen wears a golden crown and a bow in her hair, because more is better when it comes to decorating with drip! Her magic wand helps her bring the wishes of Frost Way to life, and her love of small things ensures that no detail in town goes unappreciated.
Wildly cute and charmingly interactive, Waffutu is a far cry from the less-enchanting first Happy Meal toys. Following in her influencer-creator's footsteps, she's already making waves on social media. An appearance on the Instagram account of an adoring fan shows her in her truest McNugget form, completely unadorned and ready to switch it up in fine McNugget Buddies fashion. She also comes with a collectible trading card that lists her attributes, as well as a quote on the side of her box that reads, "What if one day you woke up as a McNugget?" It sounds like Waffutu isn't only into making wishes come true; she's also into helping encourage the imagination of whoever finds her in their Kerwin Frost Box Happy Meal.
Uptown Moe
If any of the new McNugget Buddies were custom-made for getting the party started, Uptown Moe is the one. As Frost Way's city mascot, his garb is composed of the cityscape, with subway tunnel sleeves and a train emerging from the left cuff. His mischievous brows sitting half-staff above his bright eyes are a permanent feature, and his smile says he knows just how exciting living in Frost Way should be. He's on the scene to make sure everyone has a good time, including himself!
Uptown Moe's ability to spark positivity in everyone he meets is his number-one quality, a trait his fans seem to have picked up on very easily. And with his imaginative get-up and his happy attitude, Uptown Moe has already inspired some electrifying TikTok content, with one user sharing clips of his antics to a soundtrack of Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk." In Callie Joe's clip, McNugget Moe is seen in his battered birthday suit before donning his artful get-up and popping on his kicking blue McDonald's lid. Disco lights and a bottle of bubbles in the background (Martinelli's Sparkling Cider, to be exact) are on hand to add flavor to the celebration.
Don Bernice
Don Bernice is the stylist who keeps the other Buddies in Frost Way looking their most magnificent. She's also a mother figure, providing wise counsel to the other characters and inspiring them to always be themselves to the max. There's more than a touch of gray in her hair to make sure everyone knows she's been on the scene awhile and knows what she's talking about. Her multi-layered McDonald's cape suggests she just might be the matriarchal magician-slash-superhero that holds the town together!
For this creative cutie, life is almost as animated as the Buddies are in their high-energy cartoon commercials. Don Bernice gave a promotional interview to Blavity, in which she explained her views on being a curious learner, adopting new points of view, and her need to engage in creative activities every day. Happy Meal eaters lucky enough to find Don Bernice tucked away beneath their fries will have a reminder that difference and diversity are strengths that make for a solid community, and that we are all capable of inspiring one another to new creative heights.
Brrrick
Of all the chilled-out characters that populate Frost Way, there's no McNugget Buddie chill than Brrrick. Even saying his name induces shivers! One look at his spiked-ice hairstyle and icicle collar with matching glasses and plush polar bear slippers and you know this guy is a thoroughly cool customer. His bio explains that though he sometimes resorts to less-than-desirable antics to make sure he's seen by his fellow Buddies, it all comes from a longing to be accepted by others. It turns out his icy exterior is just a cool cover for a warm McNugget heart.
Brrrick is already so beloved by his adoring public, he's even starred in his own unboxing video, courtesy of YouTuber Toyofoto. The reaction once the host sees what's in the box is the same as we had when seeing Brrrick for the first time: delighted laughter at just how cute a lump of plastic can be when a creative mind imbues it with imagination and personality. This character is also our cue to be ourselves at all times and let others see us and accept us for who we are. All that from a dressed-up McNugget!
Darla
Darla may be young, but she knows what she wants out of life: a ticket to stardom! Her bio explains that after arriving in Frost Way on her journey to fortune and fame, she's become a McDonald's Employee of the Month. If she can muster the confidence to make her world premiere in the world of Happy Meal magic a showstopper, she just might make her dreams come true. For now, her name badge stays firmly in place on her work jacket as she makes the world a happier place, one McDonald's customer at a time.
If admirers aren't content simply creating fan art of their darling, Kerwin Frost makes sure Darla fans can represent their favorite McNugget Buddy with life-size plush headphones like the McNugget herself wears. But it isn't just Darla-wear admirers can purchase; the designer has launched an entire line of merch and apparel bearing the images of his customized collectible toys, available through his website. It's an auspicious debut for a McNugget trying to break big in the world of showbiz. Maybe Darla is learning it helps to have friends in high places!
You can remix all the Buddies online
As playful as Kerwin Frost has made these McNugget Buddies, things get even more whimsical when you download the McDonald's app and access Frost Way Fits, an online game that features a remix function for cyberspace versions of the characters. Just as in real life with the physical McNugget Buddies, you can become a digital designer and switch up the high-fashion accessories among Kerwin, Brrrick, and the gang. It's like having a digital Mr. Potato Head set you can fiddle with on your smartphone or tablet while waiting for your Happy Meal. Taking the play online is next-level promotional flair, and it's exactly what you'd expect from a modern maestro of lighthearted creative fun.
The Kerwin Frost project is a fantastic reminder that Happy Meal toys change along with everything else in pop culture. Anyone who remembers being excited by finding spinning tops and stencils in their boxes should understand the feeling of finding vibrant, fashion-forward toys that line up with current trends, with bonus high-tech versions of Happy Meal happenings to enhance the experience. With creative minds like Kerwin Frost getting in on the promotion game, Happy Meals are destined to keep getting happier and happier.