McDonalds promotion using the “Desire to Collect” trigger

In 1975, McDonald’s ran a masterclass in repeat sales. They launched “McDonaldland Glasses to Go” — six collectible glasses, released one per week. Customers had to visit every week to complete the set.

The marketing psychology behind it

This ad taps into Joe Sugarman’s “Desire to Collect” trigger. Humans love completing sets — stamps, cards, sneakers, glasses. Once you have the first one, you have to get them all.

Why it works

• Builds anticipation every week
• Creates emotional investment after first purchase
• Encourages repeat visits without discounts
• Makes a small product feel special and rare

Examples in the wild

• Starbucks’ reusable holiday cups boost winter visits each year
• Pokémon cards keep fans buying packs just to “catch ’em all”
• McDonald’s later revived this strategy with Happy Meal toys
• Monopoly game promos drive multiple purchases for “just one more piece”