• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
RetailMcDonald's

McDonald’s Japan Is Giving Away Fries Made From Real Gold

By
Benjamin Snyder
Benjamin Snyder
Managing Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Benjamin Snyder
Benjamin Snyder
Managing Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 19, 2016, 2:22 PM ET
Photograph by Bloomberg via Getty Images

For one lucky customer in Japan, McDonald’s (MCD) is giving away fries made out of gold.

The fast food chain has unveiled a contest in the country that comes with the unorthodox prize, as reported by Grubstreet. To win, customers are asked to download an app on their smartphones and snap photos of things that resemble french fries (think: strips of paper, pencils, etc.). Next, the entrants use a special filter provided by the app to place an item inside a McDonald’s-branded container for fries. One customer will apparently be deemed the winner by lottery, but entrants need to act fast: it ends on June 7.

Here’s an image of what the golden fries prize may look like, according to a mock-up image posted on McDonald’s Japan’s Twitter:

マックフライポテト好き🍟❤️にはたまらない新キャンペーンがまもなくスタートです🌟これ当たります!(何かわかるかな?) #ポテ撮り pic.twitter.com/rpOIkOk0ou

— マクドナルド (@McDonaldsJapan) May 16, 2016

The wacky contest isn’t the only gimmick used by McDonald’s in the region. In fact, Japan has sold a Bic Mac with three times the meat dubbed a “Giga Big Mac,” as reported by Fortune in April. In February, Fortune reported that McDonald’s Japan posted its first profit in three years. In 2015, however, it reported a loss of 34.7 billion yen, or over $300 million.

Here are some examples of contest entries:

https://twitter.com/motoki_masa/status/732924144216506369/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc^tfw

https://twitter.com/NewSaint0322/status/732937176548155393/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc^tfw

https://twitter.com/born8450/status/732938003404972032/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc^tfw

Fortune has reached out to McDonald’s for more details.

About the Author
By Benjamin SnyderManaging Editor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Benjamin Snyder is Fortune's managing editor, leading operations for the newsroom.

Prior to rejoining Fortune, he was a managing editor at Business Insider and has worked as an editor for Bloomberg, LinkedIn and CNBC, covering leadership stories, sports business, careers and business news. He started his career as a breaking news reporter at Fortune in 2014.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Retail

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Retail

target
CommentaryImmigration
Slipping on ICE: innocent retailers are the latest collateral damage from Trump’s perpetual noise machine
By Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven TianJanuary 21, 2026
2 hours ago
ICE
PoliticsImmigration
‘We believe in Allah, but we can’t do anything’: Somali shops reel in Minneapolis because ICE is bad for business
By Sarah Raza and The Associated PressJanuary 18, 2026
3 days ago
Exterior view of a large building.
RetailFortune Archives
Fortune Archives: How Saks made luxury for the masses
By Indrani SenJanuary 18, 2026
3 days ago
RetailRetail
Chubbies cofounder Kyle Hency is back—his new startup Good Day just raised $7 million in seed funding
By Allie GarfinkleJanuary 15, 2026
6 days ago
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell
EconomyConsumer Spending
Economy is marginally improving but only because the rich are splurging on luxury items and holidays, the Fed says
By Eleanor PringleJanuary 15, 2026
6 days ago
C-SuiteLuxury
Can Saks’ new CEO repair the damage done to the luxury retailer by years of being treated as a ‘financial plaything’?
By Phil WahbaJanuary 15, 2026
6 days ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
AI
Elon Musk says that in 10 to 20 years, work will be optional and money will be irrelevant thanks to AI and robotics
By Sasha RogelbergJanuary 19, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, January 20, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJanuary 20, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump added $2.25 trillion to the national debt in his first year back in charge, watchdog says
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 20, 2026
19 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Billionaire Marc Andreessen spends 3 hours a day listening to podcasts and audiobooks—that’s nearly an entire 24-hour day each week
By Preston ForeJanuary 20, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
The U.S. Supreme Court could throw a wrench into Trump’s plan to take Greenland as soon as Tuesday
By Jim EdwardsJanuary 19, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of January 20, 2026
By Danny BakstJanuary 20, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.