by Michael Lyons
Summer movies in the 1990s weren't just movies; they were events.
Some of the behemoth blockbusters that came out during the warm weather months of that decade were promoted to such an extent that they were everywhere, and you couldn't escape them.
And a big part of this hype was creative and unique promotions with the biggest names in fast food. After all, how many of us regularly make the quick trip to our neighborhood fast food franchise while rushing off to one of life's busy moments or just because the "crave" hits us? Knowing this, movie studios have cozied up to burgers, tacos, and fried chicken, to help promote their latest summer release.
The 1990s seem like it was a "golden age," of sorts for these summer movie fast food partnerships.
And the era of the summer event movies started in June of 1989 with Batman. Tim Burton's uber-blockbuster adaptation of DC's legendary superhero was inescapable that year. One of movie history's most giant marketing machines kicked into overdrive with toys, t-shirts, breakfast cereal, and a record album from Prince. By the end of its run, $750 million of Batman merchandise was sold.
Some of this was from the caped crusader's fast-food partnership with Taco Bell. Heading to the border that summer of 89 meant you could get one of four different Batman cups, free with any soft drink. There were even cinnamon twists in a paper holder emblazoned with the Batman logo.
In the television commercials promoting this, not only were scenes from the film intercut with images of the cups, but the Batsignal shone in the night sky above a Taco Bell franchise at the end.
The Dark Knight and his connection with affordable food delivered fast would continue with the Batman sequels released throughout the decade. However, Gotham's favorite son would transition over to McDonald's.
Batman Returns (1992) and Batman Forever (1995) found themselves at McDonald's. Collector cups, with mini "Bat-disc" lids, were part of the promotion for Batman Returns, while things were "kicked up a notch" for Batman Forever, as McDonald's offered figural Batman glasses (for only 99 cents each). The two promos were also a part of TV ads featuring the Golden Arches which seemed to be in Gotham City.
However, it was back to Taco Bell for 97's Batman and Robin, where the franchises offered collector cups and a giveaway game. Cups included a "pull off" game piece that invited burrito bingers to "Unmask Batman" for an opportunity to win one of the multiple prizes that summer, including the possibility of owning your own Batmobile.
In addition to Batman, another icon of 90s summer movies was Jurassic Park in 1993.
Much like Tim Burton's Batman that owned 1989, Steven Spielberg's dinosaurs were everywhere thirty summers ago. T-Rex, the Raptors, and the gang were not only on every product available but also took over McDonald's that summer.
"The Jurassic Park Extra Value Meal" not only featured a triple cheeseburger, fries (in a themed cardboard container), and a soft drink (in a Jurassic Park collectors cup), but the TV commercials featured the meals being lowered into a McDonad's deep in the jungle, in the same raptor container featured in the movie.
McDonald's boasted that everything was "dino-sized," and the fast food franchise would return to prehistoric times the following summer of 1994 with another event movie, The Flintstones.
The live-action adaptation of Hanna-Barbera's iconic animated TV series came with a marketing campaign that moved swifter than Fred Flintstone leaving work for the day.
McDonald's was not only part of this with Happy Meal toys, themed meals, and a T-shirt offer, but was also featured in the film as one of the "prehysterical” sight gags, in the form of "Roc Donald's," which was also featured in the TV commercials.
That same summer of 1994 saw the release of Disney's biggest animated blockbuster of their Renaissance era, The Lion King. It was the first of several of the studio's animated films that swept across the movie field in a massive event style.
The studio's animated features debuted at Radio City Music Hall (The Lion King), Central Park (Pocahontas in 95), and the Louisiana Superdome (The Hunchback of Notre Dame in 96).
Each had a fast-food presence, first at Burger King, with LionKing toys, Pocahontas drinking glasses, and Hunchback puppets.
And then at McDonald's with 1997's Hercules, featuring a promotion that allowed customers to purchase plates with characters and scenes on them (to go along with the Grecian theme of the film). Mulan, in 1998 brought not only toys but also Szechuan sauce for Chicken McNuggets (that came in a Chinese food-like container). And, Tarzan in 99 featured drinking straws that made sounds (including the "Tarzan yell").
But, by far, the perfect example of a 90s event movie was 1998's Godzilla. Thanks to the creators of Independence Day, the legendary movie monster's return to the big screen had the tagline "Size Does Matter."
Perfect for this film, as everything about Godzilla, particularly its promotion that summer, was not just big; it was over the top.
This included a Taco Bell promotion, with ads featuring the restaurant's mascot, the Chihuahua, who was attempting to capture Godzilla with free tacos ("Here Lizard, Lizard!"), as well as not only cups but a figural Godzilla cup holder.
The era of the summer event movie culminated in the last summer of the 90s and one of the most highly-anticipated movies of that, or any, decade: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
The Death Star-sized onslaught of merchandise that came with this film only added to the hype that started about a year prior (probably when some fans started lining up for Episode I!).
Joining in the "Phantom fanaticism" was Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and Kentucky Fried Chicken who joined "forces" to promote the film, with a "Defeat the Dark Side" game that offered customers a variety of prizes.
Also, the commercials featured the Taco Bell Chihuahua, Colonel Sanders, and a random Pizza Hut employee appearing in different scenes from the film (the sight of the Colonel wielding a lightsaber is one you won't soon forget).
Additionally, the three restaurants offered Phantom Menace toys and posters.
It's fitting that such a big promotion and a movie like Episode I closed out the era of the summer event movies.
It was a time when it felt like movie fans everywhere could ride the wave of hype all summer long. While not all summer movies and fast-food promotions were successful (anyone want to buy Burger King Wild Wild West toys? Cheap?!?), it was still a time before home video, and now streaming, usurped so much that made heading out to a movie theater still felt like an event.
Let us raise our Batman, Flintstone, or Pocahontas glass in tribute to the summer movies of the '90s!
Happy Memorial Day weekend to all!
Looking for more of my articles, podcasts, and information on my book, Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance? Head over to my website: Words From Lyons !
