Editing McDonald's

[[File:McDonald's Golden Arches.svg|right|250px|thumb|Simultaneously responsible for the obesity epidemic and also for getting an entire generation of kids into cool toy robots.]]
'''McDonald's''' is a North American-based fast food restaurant chain. Throughout the decades, the company has offered many ''Transformers'' toys as part of their "Happy Meals" targeted to human children. Most Transformers promotions have been aimed towards male children while female children were lured in with other, "girl themed", [[Hasbro]] brand products.

In the past, their Transformers were essentially traditional transforming figures, albeit with very simplistic designs: these were, after all, meant to be incredibly cheap mass-produced toys that'd have to withstand rough play from kids of all ages, and as a result, they eschewed the fancier cartoon-accurate proportions, articulation, and play features of "store bought" ''Transformers'' toys. This changed in the turn of the 2010s, as McDonald's dropped transforming robot toys entirely and instead shifted towards making non-transforming toys for their ''Transformers'' promotions, usually focusing on figurines of the characters' robot modes with the addendum of extra gimmicks.

:''See also'': [[List of Transformers restaurant promotions]]

==Fiction==
===Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics===
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Plight McDonald's.jpg|thumb|right|250px|They're lovin' it.]]
''A McDonald's was located next to [[Rimmer's Ooptician]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], and was damaged by [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] when the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] attacked the city.'' {{storylink|Plague of the Insecticons!}}

As part of their joyride in a hotwired [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Waldo Dobbs|Waldo]] and [[Ernest]] stopped at a McDonald's. {{storylink|Plight of the Bumblebee!}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
====''The Transformers Trilogy''====
[[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] smashed a McDonald's in [[Las Vegas]] to pieces as a show of strength while battling [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Prowl (G1)/toys|Prowl]]. Only the Golden Arches were left to mark where it had stood. {{storylink|Transformers: Hardwired|Hardwired}}

==Promotions==
===1985 St. Louis ''The Transformers'' McDonald's promotion===
[[File:1985 happymeal bumblebee.jpg|250px|right|thumb|And you thought Latin America had [[Generation 1 toylines in Latin America|too many Minicar recolor]]s.]]
{{quote|Collect all 4 TRANSFORMERS figurines! There's Brawn, Cliffjumper, Bumblebee and Gears. And transform yourself into the world of The TRANSFORMERS!|Mcdonald's Transformers promotion tag line}}
In 1985, McDonald's gave away non-transforming, non-poseable figurines of four [[Mini Vehicle]] characters, each rendered in six different color variations, in various two-color combinations of red, green, blue, yellow, purple, pink and black. These figures were only available in St. Louis as a test run.<ref>[http://www.toyarchive.com/Transformers/McD1985Toys1.html 1985 McDonald's toys at Toyarchive.com]</ref>

The line included:

* [[Gears (G1)#McDonald.27s|Gears]] - Came in blue&yellow, green&blue, green&red, green&yellow and red&yellow colorations. 
* [[Brawn (G1)/toys#McDonald.27s|Brawn]] - Came in blue&green, blue&yellow, green&red, green&yellow and red&yellow colorations. 
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Happy Meal Toy|Cliffjumper]] - Came in black&blue, black&green, black&purple, black&red, black&yellow and pink&blue colorations 
* [[Bumblebee (G1)/merchandise#Happy Meal Toy|Bumblebee]] - Came in black&blue, black&green, black&purple, black&red, black&yellow and pink&blue colorations.
{{-}}

===1996 ''Beast Wars'' Promotion===
[[File:McDonalds-BeastWarsPromo.jpg|300px|left|thumb|Frantic limb movement not included.]]
Promoting the then new ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] and [[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|toyline]], McDonald's offered five different toys as part of their Happy Meals, one of which was aimed towards children of age three and younger. To date, this is the only time when there have been new characters introduced solely as fast-food exclusives.
Two different cardboard boxes, containing both food and toys, were distributed.

The toys were:
* [[Panther#Beast Wars|Panther]]
* [[Rhino (BW)#Beast Wars|Rhino]]
* [[Beetle#Beast Wars|Beetle]]
* [[Manta Ray (BW)#Beast Wars|Manta Ray]]
* [[Under-3#Beast Wars|Under-3]]
[[File:BW-toy Beetle.jpg|250px|right|thumb|I'm a brand-new character!]]


The first box featured a purple, mechanically style background with punch-out cards of [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys|Optimus Primal]], [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], [[Razorbeast]], [[Polar Claw]], [[Cheetor (BW)/toys|Cheetor]], Rhino and Panther, with an additional card depicting both Optimus and [[Megatron (BW)/toys|Megatron]] in the midst of a fearsome fist-shaking contest. Additionally, it featured the two following jokes:

"''Q:Why do robots keep batteries in their wallets?'' <ref>A:They like to charge everything.</ref>"

"''Q:What did the Transformer sing when he paddled upstream?'' <ref>A:Row Row Row your Bot!!</ref>"

The second box had a green, mechanically styled background with punch-out cards of Megatron, [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]], [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]], Manta Ray, Beetle and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]], with the same card featured on the first box representing Megatron and Optimus shaking fists at each other. This box also featured two jokes.

The hand-painted artwork featured on the characters' punch-out cards showcased the characters' [[robot mode]] in the foreground with designs heavily based on early promotional designs of the first wave toys. Both Optimus and Megatron appear as a bat and an alligator respectively, and all characters have their color schemes based directly on their toys. Scorponok even appears orange, as early promotional photos presented him. Save the card featuring both Megatron and Optimus, each card's background was dominated by a representation of the character's [[beast mode]] rendered in a realistic fashion (to the point where it sometimes did not match up with the animal-kibble on the characters' robot modes).

While the Beast Wars toys were targeted towards the boy patrons, ''{{w|Littlest Pet Shop}}'' dolls were targeted to the girls.
{{-}}

===1998 ''Beast Wars'' Promotion===
[[File:McDonalds-BeastWars1998Promo.jpg|300px|left|thumb|Pushing the "Transformers-fan-to-Brony" pipeline before Bronies were actually a thing.]]

McDonald's once more promoted the Beast Wars toyline two years later, this time focusing on the [[Transmetal]]s sub-line. Three toys were produced, depicting three characters that, although part of the main cast on the television series, had not received toys depicting them in Transmetal bodies. Mirroring the gimmick of Transmetals sold in stores, they possessed a "metalized" look on some parts of their bodies.

The included toys were:

* [[Blackarachnia (BW)/toys#BWMcD|Blackarachnia]]
* [[Scorponok (BW)#McTransmetal|Scorponok]]
* [[Dinobot (BW)/toys#Transmetal|Dinobot]]
[[File:Mcdinobot.jpg|250px|right|thumb|And I'm not a new character, even though I look nothing like [[Dinobot (BW)|the character I'm supposed to be!]]]]
The meals were now distributed in paper bags instead of cardboard boxes, and featured much more crudely drawn depictions of the promoted toys, directly based on the characters' toys, posed statically. 
The first bag presented on one side Dinobot, Blackarachnia (oddly, depicted mis-transformed in her artwork) and Scorponok standing in a thundercloud, while a lightning bolt strikes a stony landscape. Said landscape is in actuality a simple puzzle to be solved, as explained on the bag:

"''Wild storm, MAXIMIZE! See which beast changed into a robot by filling in the spaces that have one dot.''<ref>The answer is Scorponok.</ref>"

The second bag featured on one of its sides similar artwork, this time depicting Dinobot's robot mode in the middle of a field, riddled with flows of lava, spewed forth from a volcano in the background. The bag instructs:

"''TRANSFORMER Dinobot is a robot in disguise! Follow the lava trail from his cool robot mode to see which beast he changes into." The possible choices depicted are either A: A mechanical scorpion (depicted on another side of the bag, which the puzzle also occupies), B: A mechanical velociraptor or C: A mechanical black widow spider.''"<ref>The answer is B, the velociraptor.</ref>

This time around, ''[[My Little Pony]]'' toys were the girl-targeting counterparts to the Beast Wars figurines. Artwork and puzzles for these toys occupied the remaining two sides of the bags.
{{-}}

===2000 ''Beast Machines'' Promotion===
[[File:McDonalds-BeastMachinesPromo.jpg|300px|left|thumb]]
Two years later still, McDonald's promoted the ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Machines]]'' toyline, successor to the ''Beast Wars'' franchise. Unlike the previous toys it offered during the [[Beast Era]], this time its toys were meant to depict the characters as they appeared in the televised show, as opposed to new characters or bodies. The result was a varying degree of success in terms of show-accuracy, with most toys concentrating on one mode to be most faithfully a depiction of the character: a design direction that would become common in McDonald's Transformers toys for the next eight years. For whatever odd reason, this batch of toys also used a lot of translucent plastic.

The toys produced for this promotion were:

[[File:BM-toy ThrustMcDonalds.jpg|250px|right|thumb|"So I was manufactured in translucent plastic, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yujF8AumiQo which was the style at the time...]"]]
'''Maximals'''
* [[Blackarachnia (BW)/toys#BMMcD|Blackarachnia]]
* [[Cheetor (BW)/toys#BMMcD|Cheetor]]
* [[Nightscream (BM)#McD|Nightscream]]
* [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#McDonaldsBM|Optimus Primal]]
* [[Rattrap (BW)/toys#Beast Machines|Rattrap]]

'''Vehicons'''
* [[Jetstorm (BM)#McDonalds|Jetstorm]]
* [[Megatron (BW)/toys#McDonald.27s|Megatron]]
* [[Thrust (BM)#McDonalds|Thrust]]
* [[Tankor (BM)#McD|Tankor]]

Returning to boxes for distribution, the two variant cardboard vessels were:

*A [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]-themed box, with one side occupied by an image of Megatron, in his harness menacingly raising an arm forwards (and erroneously labeled as being in "[[alternate mode|vehicle mode]]") while the other side was adorned by images of Jetstorm; his vehicle mode flying over a Cybertronian landscape alongside several Aero Drones, and his robot mode in a stock pose. The image of his robot mode could be punched out, advertised as a Jetstorm bookmark.
*A [[Maximal]]-themed box, with one side featuring an image of Optimus Primal in beast mode, gesturing invitingly, and another side dominated by an image of Cheetor in robot mode, with a smaller image of the technorganic cheetah in beast mode and an image of Blackarachnia in beast mode, advertised as a "straw crawler" which could be punched out similarly to the Jetstorm Bookmark.

This time around, the toys advertised towards girls were ''{{w|Hello Kitty}}'' themed, with images of said character occupying the remaining two sides of each box.

Additionally, some participating McDonald's also distributed coupons that offered $3.00 off any ''Beast Machines'' Figurine purchase of $15.00 or more.
{{-}}

===2003 ''Armada'' Promotion===
[[File:McDonalds-ArmadaPromo.jpg|250px|left|thumb]]
The ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' promotion not only included individual gimmicks for each toy, but also featured [[powerlinx]] points, allowing these toys to interact with the larger figures and [[Mini-Con]]s sold in stores. On top of it all, all of the members of each faction were promoted as being able to combine into a larger machine. Although this resulted in somewhat awkward combined forms, it did a thorough job of driving the point home of what was the focus of the Armada toyline: powerlinking.

As with previous years, each figurine was a simplified version of one of the main characters of the television series, featuring basic transformation schemes to achieve the ''vague'' look of the robot modes that they're meant to represent:

'''Autobots'''
* [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/merchandise#McDonald.27s|Optimus Prime]] - Featured a "punching" gimmick for robot mode.
* [[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#McDonald.27s|Hot Shot]] - Featured a pull-back motor for vehicle mode.
* [[Red Alert (Armada)#McDonald.27s|Red Alert]] - Featured a pull-back motor for vehicle mode.
* [[Smokescreen (Armada)#McDonald.27s|Smokescreen]] - Featured a "battle damage" gimmick.
Combined, they would form a "[[Mighty Robot]]," with Optimus becoming the upper torso, head and arms, Hot Shot becoming the crotch and upper-legs, while Red Alert and Smokescreen became the left and right legs respectively.

[[File:Armadatoy mcdonalds megatron.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Somehow only has slightly less articulation than [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#Armada|his bigger counterpart]].]]
'''Decepticons'''
* [[Megatron (Armada)/merchandise#McDonald.27s|Megatron]] - Featured a gimmick simulating his motion of firing his cannon while in robot mode.
* [[Cyclonus (Armada)#McDonald.27s|Cyclonus]] - Featured a spinning rotor gimmick.
* [[Starscream (Armada)/toys#Happy Meal toy|Starscream]] - Featured a gimmick similar to that of [[Jumpstarter]]s.
* [[Demolishor (Armada)#Happy Meal toys|Demolishor]] - Featured a "battle damage" gimmick.
Combined, they would form a "[[Mighty Vehicle]]," Starscream forming the front, Cyclonus the upper-portion, with Megatron and Demolishor providing locomotion as the left and right segments respectively of the bottom of the vehicle.

{{Note|In some Asian markets, Hot Shot's toy was slightly different from its release in other regions; it featured a slightly different transformation scheme and transparent windows.}}
{{-}}

===2004/2006 ''Energon'' Promotion===
[[File:McDonalds-EnergonPromo.jpg|250px|left|thumb|Prime really is trying his best at his G1 Soundwave lamppost mode cosplay.]]
The ''[[Transformers: Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' promotion is notable in that there were two distinct figure sets, one set released only in Europe, and the other in South America. Neither set of toys were made available in the United States and tend to be hard to come across in secondary markets. 

The European lineup were fairly bulky toys that all had similar electronic gimmicks that involved a large removable electronic "Energon cube" being placed inside the toys to activate lights or sounds. The cubes were all interchangeable among these toys. The South American figures were simpler and all featured spring-loaded transformations which were activated by pushing in buttons on the front of their vehicle modes. While having paint operations, these toys relied on pre-applied stickers for added details.

====Europe====
'''Autobots'''
* [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/merchandise#EnergonMcD1|Optimus Prime]] - Remote-control triggered lights
* [[Ironhide (Energon)#McDonald.27s|Ironhide]] - Siren sound effects

'''Decepticons'''
* [[Megatron (Armada)/merchandise#EnergonMcD|Megatron]] - Remote-control triggered lights
* [[Unicron/toys#McDonalds|Unicron]] - Light up body


[[File:McEnergon-prime.jpg|250px|right|thumb|"Hey, where did the AllSpark go?!" Suspiciously AllSpark-shaped Optimus Prime:]]
====South America====
'''Autobots'''
* [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/merchandise#EnergonHappyMeal|Optimus Prime]]
* [[Inferno (Energon)#McDonald.27s|Inferno]]

'''Decepticons'''
* [[Megatron (Armada)/merchandise#EnergonHappyMeal|Megatron]]
* [[Demolishor (Armada)#EnergonHappyMeal|Demolishor]]

Strangely, two years later, the ''European'' exclusive toys were retooled and stripped of all electronic gimmickry and rereleased...in ''South America''.
{{-}}

===2008 ''Animated'' Promotion===
[[File:HK_TFA_Happy_Meal_Commercial.jpg|250px|left|thumb|We used to be a country. A proper country.]]
In America, the ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Animated]]'' promotion featured six different figures aimed at boys while Littlest Pet Shop was once again the promotion for girls. None of the figures featured individual gimmicks like the previous promotions and although the toys were mostly successful in representing the characters on a limited Happy Meal toy budget, some figures' second modes suffered greatly.

In foreign markets, the Animated promotion differed; for some reason [[France]] received an exclusive Blitzwing figure that wasn't included in the American lineup. In South America, the toys were ''entirely'' different and featured a smaller cast. Rather than having manual robot to vehicle transformations, the toys folded up into nebulous alternate modes and transformed via a [[Jumpstarter]] gimmick. Despite being newly designed figures, the toys borrowed the head sculpts of the American toys.

====America / Europe====
[[File:Ani-toy Starscream McD US.jpg|250px|right|thumb|You thought this alt-mode was 'lazy' in 2008... Little did you know how much worse it'd get.]]
'''Autobots'''
* [[Optimus Prime (Animated)/toys#McDonald.27s Kids Meal Toys|Optimus Prime]] - Week 1
* [[Bumblebee (Animated)/toys#Fast food kids meal toys|Bumblebee]] - Week 3
* [[Ratchet (Animated)#McDonald.27s|Ratchet]] - Week 5


'''Decepticons'''
* [[Megatron (Animated)#Fast Food toys|Megatron]] - Week 2
* [[Starscream (Animated)#McDonald.27s|Starscream]] - Week 4
* [[Lugnut (Animated)#McDonalds|Lugnut]] - Week 6
* [[Blitzwing (Animated)#McD|Blitzwing]] - French Exclusive

====Latin America====
[[File:Tfa mexico set.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Welcome back, Jumpstarters!]]
Some Latin American countries like Mexico and Brazil would get an entirely different set of ''Animated'' Happy Meal toys, featuring a play pattern that's very reminiscent of the [[Jumpstarters]].

'''Autobots'''
* [[Optimus Prime (Animated)/toys#McLatin|Optimus Prime]]
* [[Bumblebee (Animated)/toys#McLatin|Bumblebee]]

'''Decepticons'''
* [[Megatron (Animated)#McLatin|Megatron]] 
* [[Starscream (Animated)#McLatin|Starscream]]
{{-}}

===2010 ''Revenge of the Fallen'' Promotion===
[[File:McDonalds-ROTF2010Promo.jpg|300px|left|thumb]]
The ''Revenge of the Fallen'' promotion featured six different figures aimed at boys while ''[[Hello Kitty]]'' was the promotion for girls. Sadly, this would also mark the end to McDonald's Transformers as we had known them: in a similar fashion to the [[Burger King]] promotions of the live action movies, none of the figures transformed, with the engineering budget being put into gimmicks instead.
[[File:McDonaldsROTFOptimusPrime.jpg|thumb|160px|right|The beginning of the downfall.]]
Oddly enough, [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] was included in the assortment of figures, despite being replaced by [[Grindor (ROTF)|Grindor]] in the movie.

'''Autobots'''
* [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/merchandise#McDonald.27s|Optimus Prime]] - Week 1
* [[Bumblebee (Movie)/merchandise#McDonald.27s|Bumblebee]] - Week 3
* [[Ironhide (Movie)/toys#McDonald.27s|Ironhide]] - Week 5


'''Decepticons'''
* [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#McDonald.27s|Megatron]] - Week 2
* [[Starscream (Movie)/toys#McDonald.27s|Starscream]] - Week 4
* [[Blackout (Movie)#McDonald.27s|Blackout]] - Week 6

The Happy Meal bag came [[:File:Mcdonaldsrotf.jpg|with the suggestion for kids to play a "Capture the Flag" game]]... But no actual included flag. Go figure.
{{-}}
===2011 ''Dark of the Moon'' promotion===
[[File:JapanHappyMeal-DOTMPromotion.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Ah yes, the two genders: murderous face-ripping robot and colorful bunny plushie.]]
The first McDonald's promotion to be exclusive to Japan, this tie-in to 2011's ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon]]'' would feature two sets of toys, both based on Optimus Prime and Bumblebee: a pair of non-transforming figurines like the previous 2010 ''Revenge of the Fallen'' tie-in and a pair of simplified versions of their [[Gravity Bot|Gravity Bots]] molds with added stickers.

Notably, these would be the last time that a McDonald's [[Transformers]] tie-in promotion featured actual transforming robot toys... And thanks to being Japanese exclusives, you might have never heard about them until you read this page!

'''Figurines'''
* [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/merchandise#McDonald.27s|Optimus Prime]]
* [[Bumblebee (Movie)/merchandise#McDonald.27s|Bumblebee]]

'''Gravity Bots'''
* [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/merchandise#McDonald.27s|Optimus Prime]]
* [[Bumblebee (Movie)/merchandise#McDonald.27s|Bumblebee]]


{{-}}
===2011 ''Transformers: Prime'' promotion===
[[File:Mcdonalds_prime_foodstraps.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Their gluttony sickens me.]]
An unusual promotion released only in Japan alongside the previous one as a tie-in for both ''[[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Transformers: Prime]]'' and the upcoming ''Dark of the Moon'' film, this set of three toys was actually not sold as a standard pack-in gift with meals but instead through some rather odd convoluted ways.

Optimus Prime and Bulkhead required you to buy a Happy Meal only exactly within the span of two days (July 30 to 31st), which, alongside the aforementioned Optimus or Bumblebee toys, would give you a special ticket that could be traded in at a specific set of toy stores for either of the assorted charms. As for Bumblebee... He was simply available as a free pack-in gift with the September 2011 issue of ''TV Boy'' magazine instead.

[[File:Prime-toy McDJapan Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|250px|right|The return of the ''Changeables''.]]
The toys themselves consist of miniature versions of McDonald's food items, which sprung open to reveal the characters inside: perhaps, intentionally or not, somewhat evocative of [[McDonald%27s#Notes|an older McDonald's toyline]].

*[[Optimus Prime (WFC)/merchandise#McDonald.27s|Optimus Prime]]
*[[Bumblebee (WFC)/merchandise#McDonald.27s|Bumblebee]]
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)#McDonald.27s|Bulkhead]]

{{-}}

===2012 ''Transformers: Prime'' promotion===
[[File:McDonalds-Prime2012Promo.jpg|300px|left|thumb]]
For the ''Transformers: Prime'' promotion, McDonald's featured non-transforming toys of ''Prime'' characters' vehicle modes, incorporating various gimmicks into them. The promotion for <s>bronies</s> girls was ''[[My Little Pony|My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]''.

'''Autobots'''
[[File:Primetoy-MegatronHappyMeal.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Robot mode sold separately. A year later.]]
*[[Optimus Prime (WFC)/merchandise#McDonaldsUS|Optimus Prime]]—Lit up when you pushed his smokestacks forward.
*[[Bumblebee (WFC)/merchandise#PrimeMcDonalds|Bumblebee]]—Featured a missile launcher in his roof.
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)#McDonaldsUS|Bulkhead]]—fired paper discs from a launcher under his hood.
*[[Ratchet (WFC)#Mcdonald.27s|Ratchet]]—Had a non-firing cannon under his roof.


'''Decepticons'''
*[[Megatron (WFC)/toys#McDonald.27s|Megatron]]—Fired a spring-loaded paddle from his front end.
*[[Starscream (WFC)/toys#McDonald.27s|Starscream]]—Featured two pop-out non-firing missiles.
*[[Breakdown (WFC)#McDonald.27s|Breakdown]]—Featured a non-firing cannon revealed by turning his spare tire.
*[[Knock Out (Prime)#McDonald.27s|Knock Out]]—Featured two pop-out non-firing cannons.
{{-}}
[[File:Primetoy-HappyMealMegatron2013.jpg|thumb|200px|right|A shame we no longer transform, but check out these awesome new ''three'' points of articulation!]]

===2013 ''Transformers: Prime'' promotion===
[[File:McDonalds-Prime2013Promo.jpg|300px|left|thumb]]
A second promotion for ''Transformers: Prime'' took place the following year, this time featuring toy of ''Prime'' characters in robot mode with exclusively mechanical-based gimmicks. It was accompanied by a ''Littlest Pet Shop'' promotion.

'''Autobots'''
*[[Optimus Prime (WFC)/merchandise#PrimeMcDonaldsRobot|Optimus Prime]]—Turning his upper torso caused him to wave his sword.
*[[Bumblebee (WFC)/merchandise#PrimeMcDonalds2|Bumblebee]]—Pushing down on his wings caused him to punch with his right arm.

'''Decepticons'''
*[[Megatron (WFC)/toys#McDonalds2|Megatron]]—Fired a spring-loaded missile from his fusion cannon.
*[[Starscream (WFC)/toys#McDonalds2|Starscream]]—Fired a spring-loaded missile from his left arm.
*[[Breakdown (WFC)#McDonalds2|Breakdown]]—Pinching his legs together caused his upper body to spin, flailing with his hammers.

{{-}}
===2015 ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' promotion===
[[File:McDonalds-RobotsInDisguisePromo2015.jpg|300px|left|thumb]]
The first promotion for ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' included a variety of figurines, as well as Transformers "diadems" stylized after Optimus Prime and Bumblebee.
[[File:RID15-toy ClampdownMcD.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Still miss transforming toys? Okay, but what about this ''insane'' "claw-on-a-string" feature!!!]]
'''Autobots'''
*[[Optimus Prime (WFC)/merchandise#RIDMcDonalds1|Optimus Prime]]—Mace-swinging gimmick
*[[Bumblebee (WFC)/merchandise#RIDMcDonalds1|Bumblebee]]—Sword-slashing gimmick
*[[Fixit (RID)#McDonald.27s|Fixit]]—Gear-activated drills
*[[Sideswipe (RID)#McDonald.27s|Sideswipe]]—Staff-spinning attack gimmick
*[[Grimlock (RID 2015)#McDonald.27s|Grimlock]]—Flame missile projectile

'''Decepticons'''
*[[Clampdown (RID)#McDonald.27s|Clampdown]]—Retractable grapple pincher 
*[[Fracture (RID)#McDonald.27s|Fracture]]—Light-up gun
*[[Underbite#McDonald.27s|Underbite]]—lunging action
{{-}}

===2016 ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' promotion===
[[File:McDonalds-RobotsInDisguisePromo2016.jpg|300px|left|thumb|The fact that all images of these toys on this wiki are just crops from this catalog speaks volumes to how interesting they are.]]
A second promotion for ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' took place the following year. It was accompanied by a ''[[My Little Pony]]: Friendship Is Magic'' promotion. Coloring sheets were also available, with an image from each franchise on each side.

'''Autobots'''
*[[Optimus Prime (WFC)/merchandise#RIDMcDonalds2|Optimus Prime]] (robot mode)—Launching missile
*[[Optimus Prime (WFC)/merchandise#RIDMcDonalds2Truck|Optimus Prime]] (vehicle mode)—Launching disc
*[[Bumblebee (WFC)/merchandise#RIDMcDonalds3|Bumblebee]] (robot mode)—Back-mounted disc launcher
*[[Bumblebee (WFC)/merchandise#RIDMcDonalds3Vehicle|Bumblebee]] (vehicle mode)—Lauching projectile

'''Decepticons'''
*[[Thunderhoof (RID)#McDonald.27s|Thunderhoof]] (robot mode)—Launching missile
*Thunderhoof (vehicle mode)—Launching missile
*[[Steeljaw (RID)#McDonald.27s|Steeljaw]] (robot mode)—Launching missile
*Steeljaw (vehicle mode)—Launching disc

The 2016 wave also came with [[:File:Mcdonalds_coloring_page_2016.jpg|a coloring page]], featuring an illustration of the ''Transformers'' characters next to another of the ''My Little Pony'' wave counterparts.
{{-}}

===2017 ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' promotion===
[[File:McDonalds-RobotsInDisguisePromo.jpg|300px|left|thumb]]
A third promotion for ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' took place in [[2017]]. Once again, My Little Pony was the alternate toy option. Instead of strictly figures, this collection had a mask and figure for each of the characters. Once more, a batch of ''My Little Pony'' figures was this wave's gir-oriented counterpart.
[[File:McDRID2017Grimlock.JPG|thumb|200px|right|Comes with the exciting "you can use this cannon on toys that are actually good" feature!]]
Interestingly, the mounted cannons in this assortment of toys uses [[5 mm post]]-compatible pegs, making them attachable to many larger figures from other ''Transformers'' toylines. 

'''Figures'''
*[[Optimus Prime (WFC)/merchandise#RIDMcDonalds3|Optimus Prime]]—Sword slash gimmick
*[[Bumblebee (WFC)/merchandise#RIDMcDonalds4|Bumblebee]]—Attachable wings and chest mounted wheel (to simulate flight)
*[[Grimlock (RID 2015)#McDonalds2|Grimlock]]—Cannon with launching projectile
*[[Strongarm (RID)#McFigure|Strongarm]]—Cannon with launching projectile


'''Masks'''
* [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/merchandise#RIDMcDonaldsMask|Optimus Prime Action Mask]]
* [[Bumblebee (WFC)/merchandise#RIDMcDonaldsMask|Bumblebee Glow-in-the-Dark Mask]]
* [[Grimlock (RID 2015)#McDonaldsMask|Grimlock Transforming Mask]]
* [[Strongarm (RID)#McDonald.27s|Strongarm Vision Mask]]

{{-}}
[[File:McD RID2017 HolidayExpressCar.jpg|thumb|200px]]

===2017 ''Holiday Express'' promotion===
For the 2017 holiday season, McDonald's ran a promotion where every Happy Meal came with a train car featuring a brand used for one its past promotions. ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' was the featured brand for one car, a grey boxcar with a sculpted Bumblebee who bobs up and down as the train advances.

The train car depicts several RID characters ([[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]], [[Bisk (RID)|Bisk]], [[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]], [[Sideswipe (RID)|Sideswipe]], [[Quillfire (RID)|Quillfire]], and [[Underbite]]) in vehicle mode in a car carrying structure. These and the other train cars released under this promotion could all be connected, in any order, to form one long train.
{{-}}

===2018 ''Bumblebee/Authentics'' promotion===
[[File:McDonalds-BumblebeePromo.jpg|300px|left|thumb]]

The release of the 2018 promotion coincided with both the release of the ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' film, though the toys are very much the Evergreen G1 designs. Despite this, most promotional material for the toys used the ''Bumblebee'' film logo and robot images.
[[File:2018-McD-Authentics-Bumblebee-Shockwave.jpg|thumb|250px|right|If you think we're just gonna give a pass to this Shockwave despite how much we've been crapping on modern McDonald's Transformers just because he's cute then... You're absolutely right, because he ''is'' very cute.]]
Unlike any of the previous McDonald's toylines, these feature a quirky [[super deformed]] aesthetic with oversized heads and goofily-proportioned bodies. Yet again, ''My Little Pony'' was the girl equivalent for this batch of toys, also featuring the same sort of super deformed aesthetic.

'''Autobots'''
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/merchandise#McDonald's 2|Optimus Prime]]/[[Optimus Prime (G1)/merchandise#McDonald's|Optimus Prime]]—Spring-loaded pop out sword
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)/merchandise#McDonald's 2|Bumblebee]]/[[Bumblebee (G1)/merchandise#McDonald's|Bumblebee]] (robot mode)—Launching projectile
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)/merchandise#McDonaldsCar|Bumblebee Racer]]/[[Bumblebee (G1)/merchandise#McDonaldsCar|Bumblebee Racer]] (vehicle mode)—[[Pull-back motor]]
*[[Grimlock (AOE)#McDonald's|Grimlock]]/[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#McDonald's|Grimlock]]—Light-Up flame/eyes
*[[Windblade (BB)#McDonald's|Windblade]]/[[Windblade (G1)#McDonald's|Windblade]]—Rotating wing fans

'''Decepticons'''
*[[Megatron (Movie)/toys#McDonald's 2|Megatron]]/[[Megatron (G1)/merchandise#McDonald's|Megatron]]—Wind-up walking
*[[Starscream (Movie)/toys#McDonald's 2|Starscream]]/[[Starscream (G1)/merchandise#McDonald's|Starscream]]—Jet-Launcher
*[[Shockwave (Movie)#McDonald's|Shockwave]]/[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#McDonald's|Shockwave]]—Pop-out rocket boot flames
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===2019 ''Cyberverse'' promotion===
[[File:McDonalds-Cyberverse2019Promp.jpg|300px|left|thumb]]
In 2019, the first Cyberverse themed promotion included non-transforming base figures that came with small vehicles that could be split in half and worn as armor for the robot figures. The armor parts all used 4&nbsp;mm pegs and could be swapped around between figures. The toys are all based on the Spark Armor figures from the Cyberverse toyline, using all the same characters as that subline. The toys all included sticker sheets for added details.

In America, only four figures were released, but European and Asian markets received an ''additional'' four figures, totaling eight. And yes, ''My Little Pony'' was, once again, the girl-oriented counterpart for this batch of toys.

[[File:McD_CV_2019_Optimus.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Hey, they actually added ''some'' transforming elements back to their *''Transformers''* toys! Could it be that these will finally be neat agai...]]
'''Autobots'''
*[[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)#McDonaldsArmor|Optimus Prime]] - Fighter Jet/ armor
*[[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)#McDonald's|Bumblebee]] - Battleship/ armor
*[[Grimlock (Cyberverse)#McDonald's|Grimlock]] - Garbage truck/ armor (Europe/Asia only)
*[[Prowl (Cyberverse)#McDonald's|Prowl]] - Starfighter/ armor (Europe/Asia only)
*[[Jetfire (Cyberverse)#McDonald's|Jetfire]] - Tank/ armor (Europe/Asia only)


'''Decepticons'''
*[[Megatron (Cyberverse)#McDonald's|Megatron]] - Helicopter/ armor
*[[Starscream (Cyberverse)#McDonald's|Starscream]] - Bulldozer/ armor
*[[Shockwave (Cyberverse)#McDonald's|Shockwave]] - Flying saucer/ armor (Europe/Asia only)

====Japan====
Japan had an exclusive “All-Star Water” promotion from August 16 to August 22 which included a translucent vinyl figurine of Optimus Prime featuring a [[water-squirting gimmick]]. He also comes with an Autobot insignia with paper that changes color when hit by water.

*[[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)#McDonald's|Optimus Prime Water Gun]]
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===2021 ''Cyberverse'' promotion===
[[File:McD CV 2021 toys.jpg|thumb|220px|right|... Nevermind.]]
Released in Singapore and Europe in January 2021, this promotion included six non-transforming figures with limited articulation. The chests of the figures had panels with lenticular image stickers on them which would change angle when the left arm is moved. Moving the panel causes the image on their chest to change.

'''Autobots'''
*[[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)#McDonalds2021|Optimus Prime]] - Image changes from robot chest to burst of electricity
*[[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)#McDonalds2021|Bumblebee]] - Image changes from robot chest to glowing Autobot symbol
*[[Grimlock (Cyberverse)#McDonalds2021|Grimlock]]
*[[Ratchet (Cyberverse)#McDonald's|Ratchet]]

'''Decepticons'''
*[[Megatron (Cyberverse)#McDonalds2021|Megatron]] - Image changes from robot chest to battle damage
*[[Starscream (Cyberverse)#McDonalds2021|Starscream]] - Image changes from robot chest to missiles flying through air
{{-}}

===2022 Potato Head'' promotion===
[[File:McD Potato Head 2022 toys.jpg|thumb|220px]]
The as-of-now last McDonald's ''Transformers'' promotion, this series was a crossover of sorts with [[Mr. Potato Head|''Potato Head'']], releasing only in some select regions across Asia and Africa. It featured a variety of miniature Potato Heads with various character costumes based on both ''Transformers'' Evergreen designs and the cast of ''[[My Little Pony]]'', in the style of [[Mr. Potato Head#Mixable, Mashable Heroes!|''Mixable Mashable Heroes'']].

Since the parts are interchangeable, you could use the ''My Little Pony'' heads with ''Transformers'' torsos and vice-versa to create the most horrifying Transformers-Potato-Pony mutants your heart could conceive of.

*[[Bumblebee (G1)/merchandise#McDonald's|Bumblebee]]
*[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#McDonald's|Grimlock]]
*[[Megatron (G1)/merchandise#McDonald's|Megatron]]
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/merchandise#McDonald's|Optimus Prime]]
{{-}}

==Notes==
*Beyond the ''Transformers'' brand, McDonald's has also released a few other transforming robot toys over the years. These include:
**Easily the most famous, the ''Changeables'' toyline was McDonald's' attempt to cash into the transforming robot craze during the 1980s. The line was comprised of small robots (and later dinosaurs, releasing under the ''McDino Changeables'' subline) that transformed into food from the McDonald's menu, resulting in a small army of quirky little burgers, fries, soda bottles and the likes. The ''Changeables'' have since become cult collectibles, and to this day, it's not uncommon for people to ([[Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers|erroneously]]) assume they were ''Transformers'' tie-ins: they were not, but if you came to this page looking for them then they shall be mentioned in these notes nonetheless.
**A handful of [[TakaraTomy]] transforming robot toylines have received McDonald's toys in the brand's Japanese branch. These include multiple waves of Shinkansen-based robots from ''Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion'' (新幹線変形ロボ シンカリオン) and a 2025 wave of figures based on ''Tomica Heroes Jobraver Tokusō Gattai Robo'' (トミカヒーローズ ジョブレイバー 特装合体ロボ). Notably, the latter, as well as most of the Shinkansen promotions, are actually traditional fully-transformable figures... Something that the ''Transformers'' franchise hasn't seen on its Happy Meal offerings since 2008.
**Also in early 2025, McDonald's Japan released an odd set of three ''[[Evangelion|Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' figures that transform into life-sized plastic versions of McDonald's food.

==References==
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[[Category:Companies]]
[[Category:Generation 1 businesses]]
[[Category:Generation 1 locations]]
[[Category:Restaurants]]