When we think about big names diving into VR brand experiences, Meta usually takes the lead. They’ve teamed up with Wendy’s before for a Horizon Worlds social interaction and even joined forces with KFC for a quirky escape room adventure. But now, McDonald’s Japan is adding its own flavor to the mix by unveiling a fresh and vibrant brand experience in VRChat, a testament to VRChat’s growing popularity in Japan.
From now until June 17th, you can visit the official McDonald’s Japan VR world. It’s not huge, just a cozy room where you can pretend to munch on fries and snap pictures at different photo spots. Here, you’ll encounter a giant fry container to climb into, stand beside virtual cutouts of McDonald’s mascots, and see frenzied flying fries and promotional text sprinkled around.
At first glance, this VR world seems like just another promotional strategy that crops up in Japan occasionally—only this time, it’s fully virtual. Dig a bit deeper, however, and you’ll find it cleverly taps into the latest trends to draw Japan’s Gen-Z back to McDonald’s, blending in the appeal of Japanese virtual streamers, or VTubers, with Japan’s enthusiasm for VRChat.
It’s all tied into McDonald’s latest marketing push in Japan, which revolves around their annual ‘Tirori Mix’ animated music video collab. Launched in 2022, this initiative mixes beloved J-pop idol vocals with an animated short inspired by the “Tirori” bell that rings out in Japanese McDonald’s when an order’s ready. This year’s edition features Ado, YOASOBI, and Hoshimachi Suisei.
So, why VRChat instead of Horizon Worlds? While VRChat hasn’t shared exact user numbers, it seems Japan leads the pack in web traffic to VRChat’s site, accounting for over 33% of visitors. There’s a compelling reason why.
A dive into VRChat will show you its huge footprint in Japan, brimming with Japanese-language worlds. From reconstructions of Kyoto’s historic streets to more serene community hangouts, VRChat’s support for user-generated avatars plays a big role.
Anyone can craft a unique avatar using 3D modeling tools like Blender, or buy one, and then consistently use it across platforms. This has fueled cross-promotion, especially among Japan’s anime-inspired VTubers.
VTubers are a big deal in Japan. Agencies such as Hololive, Nijisanji, and VShojo have adapted Japan’s idol culture for the virtual era, nurturing this new idol class who use fully-animated VR avatars.
Hoshimachi Suisei, a standout in this year’s Tirori Mix, is a prominent figure. With over 2 million YouTube subscribers, she ranks as Japan’s top Music VTuber and has performed live, appeared on TV, and charted on music lists.
Meanwhile, Meta is battling to boost engagement in Horizon Worlds, which restricts avatar customization and functions in a more closed environment. To foster user interest, Meta recently introduced a $50 million creator fund aimed at enhancing content in Horizon Worlds.
For now, Meta seems to be eyeing a viral success akin to Gorilla Tag for Horizon Worlds. Yet, without expanding avatar customization beyond its basic offering, it’s likely to face challenges tapping into the cross-promotional success that Japan’s VTubers have expertly achieved.
