I'm lovin' it: McDonald's Singapore to celebrate Hello Kitty's 50th anniversary with collectible plushies

McDonald's is back again with a limited-edition merchandise drop that may bring back nostalgic memories for some. 

In celebration of Hello Kitty's 50th anniversary, the fast-food chain is launching four sets of collectible plush toys, starting Feb 15. 

The first one features a 50th Anniversary doll and McD Crew doll.

Feb 19 onwards, the second set will be available and has a Matsuri doll as well as a Marine doll. 

Feb 22 is the launch of the third set and features a Standard Hello Kitty doll and Strawberry Bear doll. 

And finally, the fourth and last set, which will be launched on Feb 26, has a Teddy Bear doll and Mermaid doll. 

All sets will be launched at 11am on their respective release dates and will only be available for a week throughout the month of February. 

To redeem it, customers will have to purchase it for $9.90 along with an Extra Value Meal, Feast, two Value Meals or Family Meal in a single transaction. 

If you plan on getting several sets, do note that there is a cap of two sets per customer.

Apart from Hello Kitty dolls, diners can also receive a complimentary set of Hello Kitty red packets with every purchase of the new Prosperity Feast. 

The 2000s McDonald's Hello Kitty frenzy

Our older readers would probably remember the legendary McDonald's Hello Kitty hype. 

Back in Jan 1, 2000, the fast-food chain launched a 40-day Wedding Design Hello Kitty toy promotion that could be redeemed with its Extra Value Meals, recounted the National Library Board (NLB). 

One design was released weekly on Thursdays and each set of toys comprised a pair of Hello Kitty and Dear Daniel figures decked in various wedding costumes from Malay, Japanese, Chinese and Korean cultures. 

All together, there were six designs and 400,000 sets of each design were produced. 

Each time a set of toys was released, thousands of people would start queuing for them, with crowds forming as early as the night before the launch. 

The long queues at drive-thru counters also caused traffic disruptions. 

Times haven't changed and back then, scalpers could resell an entire line of the Hello Kitty dolls for as much as $980. For context, a pair of dolls had cost just $4.50 on top of any Extra Value Meal. 

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melissateo@asiaone.com