Cactus Plant Flea Market, McDonald’s, and tms launch Artist Residency Program

On October 3, McDonald’s launched its new program, Artist Residency, which offers rotating designers the chance to reimagine McDonald’s most iconic menu items. Each designer is given the opportunity to transform an everyday trip into a one-of-a-kind experience for multicultural youth tastemakers.

As one of the hottest streetwear brands today, Cactus Plant Flea Market (CPFM) were the perfect brand to kickstart the program, offering grown ups a nostalgic box and the chance to collect limited edition collectibles.

CPFM is owned by Cynthia Lu — in a game dominated by male designers, Lu is in her own genre — and beloved by influencers for the unique range of characters that grace its designs. It’s these characters that are brought to life as collectible figurines.

Developed in tandem with Wieden + Kennedy, tms (formerly The Marketing Store) and HAVI took the lead on developing all retail and omnichannel assets, as well as the execution of the collectibles from creation to distribution strategy.

Historically, programs of this size tend to be delivered by siloed teams focused solely on their specific areas. However, we were able to leverage the collective expertise across tms (formerly The Marketing Store) and HAVI to create a more succinct process and successful outcome.

“Artist Residency allowed tms (formerly The Marketing Store) and HAVI to showcase how truly ingrained we are in the McDonald’s ecosystem. Whether it be Supply Chain planning, OPNAD resourcing or Retail Premium production, our system expertise was on full display and integral to the success of the program,” said Devin Hauser, SVP of Client Engagement, McDonald’s Americas and North America Regional Lead at tms (formerly The Marketing Store).