Marvel x McDonald's is a delightful dose of nostalgia

Visitors to a Brooklyn McDonald’s may have felt they had travelled back in time last week. The fast-food giant gave a Bay Ridge outlet a retro makeover to tie in with the new Marvel series Loki.

The store was made over to look like a McDonald's from 1982 complete with vintage artwork of McDonald's mascots such as Grimace and Mayor McCheese and the jungle ferns that used to grace McDonald's restaurants (also see our pick of the best McDonald's marketing campaigns).

Fans queued up at 6620 Bay Parkway for their nostalgia fix in what was part of McDonald's As Featured in campaign, celebrating its appearances in films and TV. The attention to detail in the graphics and even the staff uniforms with paper hats was impressive.

However, the store isn't quite the "exact replica" that some reports are claiming. The product list and prices are displayed on digital screens, for a start. They must have decided that installing the old display boards would have been too much work and expense for a two-day stunt. Other anachronistic details include the QR codes on packaging and the special Loki Sweet ’N Sour sauce (see footage of a store from 1984 below for comparison).

McDonald’s says its archivist Mike Bullington worked with Marvel to ensure period-accurate details for the store's cameo appearance in season 2 of Loki. Best of all, the prices also travelled back in time, with a 10-piece Chicken McNugget meal costing US$2.54.

The initiative has been a hit with fans, much like the genuine retro McDonald's interior in Hong Kong and the temporary McDonald's that looked liked fries.