Premium giveaways were at an all time high when I first began working with McDonald's. My first project was for a collector cup series that would tie in with the first feature length film of Batman. I was so excited to get the call but the deadline was unbelievably fast. I got the call on a Friday and sobbed all weekend after turning it down. I realized that I could never create six cup designs in just three weeks and felt it would be unjust to accept the project. When Monday rolled around, I got a call back and the agency doubled the time-frame enabling me to accept the project.
That would turn out to be the beginning of a long working relationship. Together, we produced several more cup series, fry boxes, displays, glassware, and more over the course of a decade. Many of the premiums are still in collections and pop up on eBay from time to time. The broadest appeal seemed to reach the preteen and teenage groups who are now adults. Occasionally, I'll hear from a collector who boasts about their full "mint condition" cup series. It makes me smile!