An ugly hat went viral! Is Maimen a brainwash marketing campaign?

What kind of hat caused the Internet craze? What is "Maimen" marketing? This article will start with the visor hat that has recently caused a lot of discussion, analyze the essence of "Maimen" marketing, and conclude that marketing should focus on consumer experience. I hope it will be helpful to everyone.

"It's too childish for kids, but maybe just right for adults and cats and dogs..."

This is the new play house toy launched by McDonald's. Put on Little Red Riding Hood, and the dog and cat will turn into McDonald's workers and ask you what you want to eat.

The official name of Little Red Riding Hood is "Staff Visor Hat". It is the most popular of the seven new toys included in Happy Meals. Other toys include ordering microphone, meatloaf grill, menu cash register, etc. Each one has a different way of playing.

Some people say that this little red hat is the same one worn by Maggie Cheung. The evidence is the 1996 movie "Comrades: Almost a Love Story" directed by Peter Chan.

1. Why is the ugly visor hat so popular?

With a large logo in the middle, the design of this visor cap seems particularly simple. If compared with those exquisite IP co-branded toys in the past, it is even more rudimentary.

The picture comes from Xiaohongshu netizen @丸子 (Graduate Entrance Examination Edition)

However, in order to get the hat, netizens frantically made wishes on the order form.

Of course, one of the reasons why netizens are crazy is that those Mai Men’s children who have already grabbed the hats have started to post pictures crazily early~

I didn't expect that this hat toy, which was originally provided for children, is very suitable. It can be worn by adults and pets at home.

1. When an adult baby wears a visor hat

Hot girl Feng Maimai worker appears! ‍‍‍‍

The picture comes from Xiaohongshu user @yo颖仔

The picture comes from Xiaohongshu netizen @小郁睡不醒

2. Take a cool photo with your dog~

Image from Xiaohongshu user @大利

3. When cats and dogs wear visors

Xiugou cosplays as JOJO and tells you what "the hat is the real body" means! ‍

The picture comes from Xiaohongshu user @次郎的日常

4. Playing the role of a cat repairman at work

Image from Xiaohongshu user @小红土豆5E9A2BC6

5. When an exotic pet wears a visor

The migrant worker "chicken" is so cute~

I didn't expect real chicken could work

The "drive-thru" in the picture refers to McDonald's drive-thru restaurant, which is the transliteration of Drive-Thru. As shown in the picture below, consumers can complete a series of operations such as ordering and receiving food without getting out of the car.

Image taken from McDonald's advertisement

6. When the stuffed animal wears a visor

Maimon Ruby, Maimon Squirrel, Maimon Jellycat...

7. What if I don’t buy the visor cap?

Make a unique hat overnight. No matter whether it looks like the original or not, it will be decorated with gorgeous diamonds.

The main feature is a fool-like pet raising method, with some special effects for fun~

Make one out of a french fry box

The picture comes from the circle of friends of @听听 on Xiaohongshu -

After reading all of the above, I can't help but sigh: a simple logo hat is so popular, it's really a success of the brand.

2. What can one gain by entering Maimen?

Put on a visor, become a Maimai worker, take photos. While enjoying the fun brought by toys, young people voluntarily become a member of "Maimai" in spirit. The saying "joining Maimai" has become a proof of youth.

You know, McDonald's has long been more than just a place to fill your stomach. For those born in the 1990s and 2000s, it is a childhood memory and the spiritual sustenance of a generation.

On Bilibili, some people show off their hats, and some show off their toys. They are happy to share old McDonald's toys. The now-vanished classic McDonald's characters, such as the Burger Thief, Big Bird, Ronald McDonald, and Milkshake Man, all make adult children yearn for them. After all, back then, parents constantly questioned whether McDonald's was healthy and nutritious, which made McDonald's an unattainable existence in the minds of some children.

McDonald's sells toys with both branded cartoon characters and IP co-branded toys. Now, in the eyes of these collectors, pure McDonald's character toys may be more worthy of cherishing.

B station up master @山鸡兄LAbros once interviewed a toy collector. When he stepped into the house, he saw a neatly stacked wall. In the "cubicle", there were toys sold by McDonald's from different countries, and there were also "one that can tell a story" that was not for sale. For example, the largest and most eye-catching M-shaped logo lamp was asked back by the staff when the restaurant was renovated.

Compared with the "obsessed" McDonald's toy collectors, more young people choose to become a member of the "McGen" on social platforms.

McDonald's injects new meaning into fast food culture by bundling with stories, trendy brands and popular idols. McDonald's has become a symbol of trendy culture and guides the concept consciousness of a group of people.

In "Chungking Express", the police officer played by Takeshi Kaneshiro eats McDonald's after a breakup

McDonald's co-branded fashion brand Clot

Former spokesperson Eason Chan's classic singing of "McDonald's is Infinitely Good"

"Maimen" accepts what young people love and think, including the negative emotions that arise with the changes of the times.

"Mai Men" can be a standard to distinguish good people from bad people, or it can be a refined art. "Mai Men" protects every child who works hard outside all the time.

A "1+1 with whatever you like" meal, which costs just over 10 yuan, is called the "poor man's meal," but most people who talk about it speak in a friendly tone. Consumption is downgraded and it is difficult to find a job. Social reality has repeatedly awakened the children who have just arrived. Enjoying hamburgers, chicken wings and Xindi is their simple and beautiful happiness.

The fast food culture that is seen as meaningless by outsiders is seen as a recognition of identity and the elimination of anxiety by Maimen people.

The above pictures are taken from the video posted by McDonald's on Station B

3. Conclusion

The term "Mai Men" came from netizens and was later used by the brand. This is exactly the same as the term "Kicking Indestructible" used in Timberland's advertisement. Since then, McDonald's has gained the voice to compete with KFC's "Crazy Four Literature" on social platforms with "Mai Men Literature".

However, in addition to "McGate" marketing, brands should not ignore the experience that their products bring to consumers. At present, many people are complaining that McDonald's hamburgers are getting smaller and smaller and the prices are getting higher and higher. Some people have left McGate and joined "Hanmen" and "Towermen" (Burger King, Tustin). Today, people are willing to wear hats with the Golden Arches logo on their heads and wear co-branded T-shirts on their bodies. What will it be like tomorrow?