Why McDonald's Is Changing Its Name This Week

McDonald's is doing a bit of cosplay this week. Beginning Monday, Feb. 26, McDonald's locations in more than 30 global markets flipped their iconic golden "M" upside down to become "WcDonald's" in an anime-inspired makeover that gives a nod to the fictional fast food chain seen in anime TV shows and movies.

For those unfamiliar, WcDonald's is a fictional version of McDonald's that has appeared in over 100 different anime films and shows. It first originated from a 1983 episode of Cat's Eye, with WcDonald's since having gone on to appear in everything from Sally the Witch to Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, InuYasha, and more. The temporary name change comes as part of a collaboration with some of the biggest names in anime.

"Anime is a huge part of today's culture, and we love that our fans have been inviting us into the conversation for years," Tariq Hassan, Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer at McDonald's USA, said in a press release. "The WcDonald's universe is a reflection of what fans have created. It honors their vision and celebrates their creativity, while authentically bringing it to life in our restaurants for the first time ever."

To celebrate the transformation from McDonald's to WcDonald's, the fast food chain is introducing a new sauce, manga-inspired packaging, episodic shorts, and more. Available for a limited time only, the new Savory Chili WcDonald's Sauce boasts a combination of ginger, garlic and soy with a slight heat from chili flake. McDonald's says the sauce mirrors "the bold, dynamic spirit of your favorite anime heroes." The sauce pairs perfectly with Chicken McNuggets and other go-to menu items, which will be served in custom WcDonald's packaging featuring WcDonald's Crew characters. McDonald's teamed with h Acky Bright, a Japanese manga artist and illustrator who has worked with DC Comics, Warner Brothers and more, to design the packaging.

McDonald's has also partnered with legendary animation house studio pierrot to produce the first official WcDonald's anime. Every Monday beginning on Feb. 26 and ending on March 18, a new short will drop in tandem with new manga on WcDonalds.com, or by scanning the code on the WcDonald's bag. The shorts, honoring r four of anime's biggest subgenres – Action, Romance, Mecha and Fantasy, "will take fans into the flavorful world of WcDonald's, where a story about the WcDonald's Sauce and WcNuggets unfold each week."

Meanwhile, a new WcDonald's Immersive Dining Experience will transport fans to the first IRL WcDonald's. Set to pop up in Los Angeles on March 9 and 10, the WcDonald's Immersive Dining Experience is described as "a genre-bending fusion of entertainment and food." Interested guests can create a reservation through Openable starting on Feb. 28.