The Frost Way Experience
Kerwin Frost Meal Activation – Art Basel Miami
The Frost Way Experience marked a bold new era for McDonald’s—launching the all-new adult Happy Meal and reviving the legendary McNugget Buddies, reimagined through the lens of artist and lifelong McDonald’s fan Kerwin Frost. Growing up in Harlem, Kerwin collected McNugget Buddies as a source of inspiration and self-expression. Now, decades later, he had the chance to reinvent them for a new generation, shaping each Buddy’s design around his belief that everyone should feel free to be exactly who they are.
During Art Basel Miami, McDonald’s and NTWRK unveiled a larger-than-life Happy Meal Box pop-up where the Frost Way universe came alive. Guests moved through six custom gallery vignettes, each anchored by a life-size fiberglass sculpture of a McNugget Buddy, staged in environments that reflected their unique personalities. Towering above it all, we designed a custom inflatable Kerwin Frost McNugget Buddy that watched over the activation from the rooftop, becoming an instant Art Basel landmark.
The experience opened with an exclusive friends & family night, featuring an immersive Town Hall modeled after the miniature commercial set design, while DJ Zach Bia—a tastemaker in music and fashion—curated the soundtrack for the night. Guests sampled the Kerwin Frost Meal from a custom-wrapped Sampling Truck, covered in bespoke artwork created in partnership with Kerwin himself. Additional touchpoints included a life-size Snowglobe photo opp, an immersive photo booth where fans posed alongside their favorite new McNugget Buddy, and an exclusive raffle for a one-of-a-kind McNugget Buddy leather Jacket designed by Jeff Hamilton for NTWRK and Kerwin Frost.
The activation also featured a Digital McNugget Buddy Gallery, where animation brought each Buddy’s personality to life, and a dedicated room showcasing the original miniature set from the campaign commercial, allowing fans to experience its meticulous craftsmanship firsthand. To deepen fandom, guests received bespoke printed collateral that became instant collectors’ items like metro-inspired meal vouchers, a custom Frost Way newspaper, and the exclusive limited edition and ultra rare Golden McNugget Buddy—which quickly resold online for hundreds of dollars.
In just 48 hours, the Frost Way Experience served over 3,000 Kerwin Frost Meals, sparked an estimated 350M social impressions, 500+ press hits, and 2B+ earned media impressions, and gave fans a first look at the official merch collection on-site. Pieces like the viral Fry Guy Shoes (later spotted on Kim Kardashian and other icons) sold out on-site, fueling resale hype and cementing the drop’s cultural impact.
As Kerwin himself put it: “It’s unreal, a dream come true… I hope the Kerwin Frost Box reminds people to hone their creativity and not be afraid to show the world who they really are.”
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