Australian Happy Meals!

[gemma58]

Update:
The release was Friday 23rd September and the promotion lasts 4 weeks.
There are 12 species of plushies available.(yeah only 12!)
They DO NOT come with codes or stickers or cards. Instead they come with a Petpet clip.

Week 1 = Meerca, Bruce, Kougra

The poster for the promotion:



The plushies I got today were: Green Meerca, Yellow Kougra and Red Bruce.
Petpet Clips: Gruslen, Mazzew, Doglefox

[mazil]

Yay, I was so excited yesterday when I realised it was "Neopets Day" (as I kept telling everyone).

I got a red kougra... I seem to have a predominance of red toys now, 3 of 6 (including my ones from last time). He's cute though!

Has anyone noticed that some of the toys have really good quality "plush" fur, while others have cheaper-looking "felt"ish fur? I wonder why?

[everconfused]

Aww, no RIC on your McD plushies? Are you sure? If there's a paper hangtag on your plushies (star shaped) - look on the back, under the Neopets, Inc. If they gave you all codes, it'll be there - very very small print ... the ones here in the states all started with mc.

[Sarah]

I'll be buying happy meals for the next few weeks, just like a little kid again!!

*squee!* exciting!



(I know I can just "buy" them outright, but it's more fun when you get the meal with it...)

[Trick]

You guys do know the daily give away on the site is working again?

http://www.neopets.com/mcd/dailyprize.phtml

[Alex]

You guys do know the daily give away on the site is working again?

http://www.neopets.com/mcd/dailyprize.phtml

Awesome! *goes to claim prize*

I saw the ad for them on TV today. Very amusing.

[myname7772]

Wish'd they were in Hong Kong now that I'm here. Theres a Mcd's in every 0.25 Km radius here. They should come to HK atleast if Neopets is starting to globalise in China.

[jas]

Does anyone have a list of the prizes given out in the new giveaway?

[Trick]

Does anyone have a list of the prizes given out in the new giveaway?

I'm not sure if the prizes have been given out for as long as it says - although it says it started September 15th, most people only found out about it yesterday or today so I'm pretty sure that's when it started. I don't know what yesterdays prize was though (if it did start yesterday rather than today) :/

[IcyBlue]

But oh no, they don't want me to spend my money on the latest tcg cards or plushie toys, nope. Suits me

I doubt Neopets is willingly giving up an opportunity to make money in the UK. It's just that the people who make the TCGs, plushies, and other merch don't want to go to the UK.

[skizzy the wonder lizard]

Why can't they get sponserred by an Indian Restaurant or a Kebab joint instead? I don't wanna go to McDonalds if it ever comes here...

You don't have to buy McDs here if you don't want to - the toys are AUS$2 each, and it's not required to actually have their food. A lovely little law that we have down here in South Australia, apparently. Means I can just walk up to the one in our closest shopping center and buy the toys without having to eat the food. ^^

that's true in the united states, too. that's how i got mine. although for a mere 30 cents more, i could have gotten the entire meal. i didn't realize that until i'd already paid. oh well, i don't eat meat anyway, and their fries aren't vegetarian either.

[sparkygoesforth]

But oh no, they don't want me to spend my money on the latest tcg cards or plushie toys, nope. Suits me

I doubt Neopets is willingly giving up an opportunity to make money in the UK. It's just that the people who make the TCGs, plushies, and other merch don't want to go to the UK.

McDonalds UK is pretty separate from the American parent in that it's McD UK's responsibility to decide what Happy Meal promotions will work in the UK... if it decides that Neopets is not well-known enough in the UK yet then no dice. Not only is the Happy Meal promoting the toy, the toys should be promoting the Happy Meals too. From a merchandising point of view, last year Argos was selling a reasonable range of the Interactive Toys, this year they don't appear to be which doesn't bode well for the penetration of Neopets in the UK. Have they (Neo) given up on us already?

Short of going to a specialist importer on eBay or attempting a Claire's store (though I understand they aren't exactly flush with the merchandise over here), just where can you pick up Neo stuff in Britain?

[Trick]

McDonalds UK is pretty separate from the American parent in that it's McD UK's responsibility to decide what Happy Meal promotions will work in the UK... if it decides that Neopets is not well-known enough in the UK yet then no dice. Not only is the Happy Meal promoting the toy, the toys should be promoting the Happy Meals too. From a merchandising point of view, last year Argos was selling a reasonable range of the Interactive Toys, this year they don't appear to be which doesn't bode well for the penetration of Neopets in the UK. Have they (Neo) given up on us already?

Short of going to a specialist importer on eBay or attempting a Claire's store (though I understand they aren't exactly flush with the merchandise over here), just where can you pick up Neo stuff in Britain?

Yup, the problem I have with them is that while the companies over here are not choosing neopets to promote and be promoted by, neopets seem to have made no effort what so ever to introduce themselves to the UK market. I have never seen a neopets advert on the telly when argos had some of their toys, I only stumbled across the neopets website in the first place by complete accident. Nobody I know in real life other than my bf has ever heard of neopets. Perhaps the movie will change that whenever it comes out.

Considering that they measure their user base in the UK and Australia as both being over 1 million you think they would try advertising here as well as for the Aussies. It seems particularly off when this is the home country of the creators. And I know that they would be popular here, it's not like little kids in this country (and me ) wouldn't like to collect the cards, plushies or have yet another excuse to go to McD's

I think you can get the tcg cards from the first two or three expansions in some specialist hobby type shops, but anything else and you need to go to ebay :/ If I'm ever near a big Claire's store I'll need to check it out. In the meantime though I'll enjoy spending my money on other companies!

[sparkygoesforth]

I have never seen a neopets advert on the telly when argos had some of their toys...

Around this time last year I accidentally stumbled across the ITV early-Sunday-morning Disney cartoon show which was sponsored by Neopets. They had the little sponsor 'bumpers' before and after the ad breaks, promoting the Interactive Toys. When they pronounced Kougra 'Cougar' I abandoned all hope of Neopets ever being a succesful craze over here.

Perhaps the movie will change that whenever it comes out.

I really, really hope so - I hope they've got some kind of promotional game plan, that the Darkest Faerie is going to be great and get heavy promotion. Otherwise, can we say 'Straight To Video'? I think we can

Considering that they measure their user base in the UK and Australia as both being over 1 million you think they would try advertising here as well as for the Aussies. It seems particularly off when this is the home country of the creators. And I know that they would be popular here, it's not like little kids in this country (and me ) wouldn't like to collect the cards, plushies or have yet another excuse to go to McD's

I think you can get the tcg cards from the first two or three expansions in some specialist hobby type shops, but anything else and you need to go to ebay :/ If I'm ever near a big Claire's store I'll need to check it out. In the meantime though I'll enjoy spending my money on other companies!

I actually walked past two separate Claire's stores today but didn't have the guts to go in to either

[star2002]

I purchased a checkered bruce, red meerca, red kougra last week. I hope to get one of each pet:) Does anyone know yet which plushies they're selling for week 2?