McDonald’s Japan Welcomes Summer with Animation Commercials by Mamoru Hosoda
McDonald’s Japan is celebrating the arrival of summer with the aesthetic of one of the anime world’s most respected figures, director Mamoru Hosoda. Announced on June 26, 2026, the new advertising campaign features Olympic medal-winning figure skating pair Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, alongside popular idol group Sakurazaka46 member Hikaru Morita. This special collaboration combines high-quality animation art with Japan’s most beloved athletes and artists to promote the brand’s seasonal products.
The commercials reflect the bright and hopeful summer atmosphere we are accustomed to from Mamoru Hosoda’s classic works such as Summer Wars and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. The elegance of the figure skating pair, known as "RikuRyu" and holders of world championships, combined with Hosoda’s fluid animation style, results in a visual feast. Hikaru Morita appears in the commercial as a character experiencing the brand’s refreshing summer drinks and snacks, completing the campaign’s young and dynamic face.
Mamoru Hosoda, the founder of Studio Chizu, is recognized in the anime industry as the "director who best captures the spirit of summer." Throughout his career, the director has created masterpieces such as Wolf Children, The Boy and the Beast, and the Oscar-nominated Mirai and Belle. In this commercial, he utilizes his signature "kage-nashi" (shadowless) drawing technique and vast sky depictions. The massive white clouds and deep blue skies frequently seen in Hosoda’s works achieve a perfect visual harmony with the McDonald’s summer menu, giving viewers a nostalgic summer feeling.
McDonald’s Japan has previously earned the appreciation of anime fans with collaborations involving major productions such as Makoto Shinkai’s Suzume and One Piece. Beyond being a sales strategy, these types of projects highlight the cultural weight of anime art in Japanese daily life and the value brands place on this art form. For fans, these commercials are of great importance as they offer the opportunity to see their favorite directors' styles in daily life, even if only in a television advertisement.
