Adorable McDonald’s Japan x Studio Ghibli ad has fans going wild

McDonald’s Japan has delivered another wholesome animated ad, but this time, it has Studio Ghibli fans incredibly excited. 

The marketing team behind McDonald’s Japan is no stranger to creating viral hits. Last year, the official account famously shared animated clips of a family sharing a meal, and another depicting an awkward but cute young couple on a first date. 

Both of these videos quickly went viral, with the clips receiving millions of views and even fan art from avid fans. McDonald’s Japan is also famous for its many anime collaborations, with the fast-food eatery linking up with everything from Pokemon to Detective Conan. 

However, the latest collab has caught the attention of the Studio Ghibli community, with many flocking to social media to heap praise on the new ad. 

On June 17, 2024, the official McDonald’s Japan X account posted a silhouette of Kiki, the young witch from  Kiki’s Delivery Service. The brief clip was uploaded with the following caption: “Do you know who it is?”

The post instantly garnered a lot of attention from Studio Ghibli fans, who quickly commented on the video to share their excitement over a potential collab. However, they didn’t have to wait long, as a mere day after the initial clip was uploaded, McDonald’s Japan posted three new clips. 

During the first clip, we get to see Kiki flying on her broom with her beloved black cat Jiji – who is yet again, holding on for dear life. Kiki also has her signature radio slung around her broom, with a McDonald’s meal hanging closely next to it. 

The next video shows Kiki running errands around the beautiful streets of Koriko, the main setting from Miyazaki’s iconic film. This is then followed up with the third and final video, which shows the sun setting over Koriko as Kiki and Jiji fly back home. 

It’s all incredibly sweet and Studio Ghibli fans were overjoyed that the little witch has received an “unexpected” crossover. “Kids would be so happy if Kiki and Jiji from Kiki’s Delivery Service delivered McDonald’s to their house,” wrote one commenter. 

Others were also keen to capitalize on the “delivery” part of Kiki Delivery Service, with one user writing: “Will you deliver my Mac? Cute Kiki’s Delivery Service.” 

Quite whether there will be any Kiki’s Delivery service menu items remains to be seen, but it’s clear McDonald’s Japan has poured some magic into its latest videos.