McDonald’s Saudi Arabia has partnered with independent creative and branding agency Them Again to launch a nationwide collaboration with global anime phenomenon Jujutsu Kaisen, marking one of the most culturally driven campaigns in the Kingdom’s quick-service restaurant sector to date.
Timed to coincide with the global release of the anime’s latest season, the 42-day campaign has gone on to generate more than 146.9 million impressions and reach 26.1 million unique people across TikTok, YouTube, programmatic video and X, with organic engagement extending beyond Saudi Arabia into international fan communities.
The collaboration reflects a broader shift in how McDonald’s Saudi Arabia is engaging younger audiences, moving beyond traditional advertising into culturally embedded experiences. With anime continuing to grow as a dominant passion point among Saudi youth, the campaign was designed to meet audiences within a space they actively shape and participate in.
Developed and executed end-to-end by Them Again, the campaign brings together product, content, retail and creator ecosystems under a single platform, “Expand The Golden Domain.” Inspired by the concept of “Domain Expansion” in Jujutsu Kaisen, the idea reimagines McDonald’s as a shared cultural space, blending the visual language of anime with the brand’s role in everyday social life across the Kingdom.
Rather than approaching the collaboration at surface level, the partnership was built around identifying the right cultural property at the right moment. Jujutsu Kaisen was selected for its strong resonance within regional fan communities, where the series is widely referenced, remixed and shared. Aligning with the launch of the new season enabled the brand to tap into an existing global conversation already gaining momentum. The collaboration was facilitated by Crunchyroll, a leading global anime streaming platform.
Bassam Suleiman AlSuhail, Marketing Director, Riyadh International Catering Corporation (McDonald’s KSA) said: “Our audience here is young, culturally engaged, and have high expectations. Partnering with Jujutsu Kaisen has allowed us to meet them where their passion actually lives. It is exactly the kind of bold, locally relevant work we want to be known for; a clear statement that McDonald’s Saudi Arabia is a cultural brand, not just a category leader.”
The campaign spans a fully integrated consumer journey, from limited-time menu items and collectible packaging to large-scale restaurant takeovers and a phased rollout across digital, social and out-of-home channels. A central feature is a collectibles programme designed to drive repeat visits, reflecting behaviours already embedded within anime fandom.
Amplification has been driven through culturally credible voices rather than broad influencer reach. Them Again partnered with anime-native creators across Saudi Arabia, enabling the campaign to extend organically into fan communities both locally and internationally.
Hagar Bakhtiar, Marketing Director, REZA Food Services Co. (McDonald’s KSA) said: “Working with Them Again on this has been a genuine pleasure. They took the ambition off our desk and ran with it, from the strategic case for anime through to every frame of the rollout. They operated as a true end-to-end partner. It is rare to find an agency that combines strategic clarity and creative craft at this level.”
Colin Talbot, Managing Director at Them Again added: “This is the kind of work we built Them Again to do. We were asked to help McDonald’s re-enter culture, not just run a campaign, which meant earning the right to be part of a fandom as passionate as JJK’s. We identified the IP, shaped the partnership and delivered it end-to-end. The results – 146 million impressions, 26 million people reached and real in-store momentum – show what’s possible when strategy, creative and craft move as one.”
The final results confirm the approach resonated. Across its 42-day run, the campaign delivered 100.4 million video views at a 100% completion rate, 9.07 million engagements including 1.35 million clicks, and 233,000 profile visits, while earning 8,039 new organic followers – community built rather than bought. Roughly seven in ten of those reached were aged 18 to 34, placing McDonald’s Saudi Arabia inside the fandom conversation rather than adjacent to it, alongside high levels of social conversation, user-generated content and repeat purchase linked to its collectibles mechanic.
Ben Griffiths, Executive Creative Director at Them Again, said: “Jujutsu Kaisen has a fanbase that knows every detail. The brief was to create work fans would share, not just look at. Expanding the Golden Domain was built to honour the JJK universe while still feeling like McDonald’s, with every touchpoint earning its place. Seeing it spread into global fan communities shows the craft landed.”
The collaboration underscores McDonald’s Saudi Arabia’s growing focus on culturally led marketing, as brands across the region increasingly seek deeper, more participatory relationships with younger audiences.
