In May 2025, McDonald's Holdings Co. $MCD Japan reported a significant boost in sales, driven largely by the introduction of Happy Meal toys that capitalized on two major trends: the "Minecraft" movie and the Chiikawa character franchise. This initiative spurred a 14.7% year-over-year increase in same-store sales, marking the largest monthly growth since December 2022. Such robust performance underscores the effectiveness of leveraging cultural phenomena in retail strategies.