People are travelling to McDonald's restaurants in Italy for one strange reason
Whilst many fans of McDonald's collect the fast food chain's merchandise - most commonly Happy Meal toys - occasionally the company embarks on other promotions to attract customers. For some, that's meant travelling to Italy just to get their hands on some new 'Maccies' goods.
Just as it did last year, McDonald's in Italy has launched a new adult meal campaign where the toy has been replaced by something much different - a beach towel. One person who travelled across Europe especially took to TikTok to document her adventure. "POV [point of view] You go to Italy to get the McDonald's towel," Leonie penned in a caption alongside her video.
After entering the restaurant, Leonie could be seen heading straight to the touchscreen ordering system, where she picked out the "nuovi teli mare" [new beach towels] option.
"Hoping for the ice cream or the burger," she continued. Indeed the McDonald's Italy website reveals there are four towels in the range, featuring a Big Mac, a drink, fries and a McFlurry ice cream.
However, after opening her paper bag, she was disappointed to realise she'd been given the drink version. "Not the freaking soda," she exclaimed. Despite her modest following of just 228 on the social media platform, 1.4 million TikTok users tuned in.
Elsewhere, a second McDonald's fan from Australia made the mammoth trip to Europe to get her hands on the coveted merch. "I travelled all the way to Italy to secure a McDonald's beach towel," confirmed Ana in a clip, which has also been viewed 1.4 million times.
Her grand reveal saw her become the proud owner of the fries design, meanwhile, as she Ana pointed out she was actually in Sardinia rather than the Italian mainland.
Writing in response, one TikTok user quipped: "This is actually really dangerous because now we've all had to book flights to Italy to get a McDonald's beach towel."
A second replied: "What! I'm going to Italy on Monday. I'm gonna go to McDonald's."
A third person praised: "I literally told my parents all about it and we are in Italy right now and we drove to McDonald's and my parents are getting me one."
Whilst a fourth joked: "The only thing my six-year old enjoyed in Italy."
And in response to questions from other intrigued McDonald's lovers, Ana explained: "You have to order specific meals! There is an option at those kiosks that tell you which ones you need to order to get the towel."
If you're tempted to travel to Italy to snap one up for yourself, be wary that McDonald's Italia says of the promotion: "Offer valid at participating McDonald's locations. While supplies last. Purchase of a Large McMenu or Happy Meal includes a Beach Towel.
"Check prices at participating McDonald's locations. Beach towels cannot be sold separately. You cannot choose the design of your beach towel."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
37 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
American living in UK visits Poundland for the first time and shares honest verdict
A man couldn't believe his eyes when he went into Poundland, but then admitted he expected something completely different than what the popular shop actually offered An American in the UK visited Poundland for the first time, a staple on most British high streets, but he's been left feeling a little bit 'suspicious' of the shopping experience. TikTok user @kjordyyy, who is an American living in the UK, shared he had to check out the shop "for the name alone," possibly making the assumption that everything would be just £1. When he went through the entrance, he said he walked "approximately 10ft" and it was giving "Dollar General vibes," but he said: "Their things aren't a pound, which is kind of crazy" - and it's a conversation Brits have likely had between themselves again and again. He flipped the camera around to show some laundry detergent that was actually £3, rather than the £1 he thought it would be. "They also sell clothes as well," he said, as he explored the aisles of the store, likening it to a "low-key mini Walmart". He continued: "I'll be honest, most dollar stores back home are sort of dirty, dingy, but there's something so clean and sterile about this one. "Like it's so pristine, everything's so in order for a dollar store - pop off UK." But he did share he thought it should have a different name other than Poundland, joking it's good it wasn't called "Pound Town". Exploring some more of the store, he stumbled upon the Party Rings, saying his British friends shared with him they were a "staple" when they were growing up - but he never had them. He then filmed himself walking round saying he was "living the dream in Poundland" and he was "generally shook with the variety" of things you can buy in the shop. "It's not a big store from the outside," he shared, but "they have a little bit of everything" for you to buy. He joked: "I think I've explored every square inch of this store. I don't know what I was expecting from a Poundland, but it's pretty legit." TikTok user @kjordyyyy ended the video by asking his followers to recommend other "odd stores" to him, so he could visit. Someone suggested he needs to go to Home Bargains, joking he would "never leave" once he entered the shop, as there are so many cheap things. A woman wrote: "It used to cost £1 for items, now they're all different prices. I'm 29, but I've seen that change since my childhood. The future is bleak. Party rings are the best, though, so as long as they exist, it will bring me a small joy." Another pointed out there was actually a shop called Pound Town, saying: "There is genuinely a shop called Pound Town in Kingsbury (on the Jubilee line in London)."
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Tan lines are back in fashion. But can you get the look safely?
"I am literally going to apply this fake tan all over my bikini top," Jemma Violet says, as she smears chocolate brown mousse over her chest, neck and halter-neck bikini.I'm watching a TikTok video in which the beauty influencer is explaining how to develop a vibrant set of tan lines - without sunbathing."Make sure you do your arms and everything... and then wait a couple of hours before washing it off."A flash frame later and Jemma is showing off two very visible white stripes connected to two white triangles poking out of the top of her boob tube. Tan lines glowing, job done. Back in the 90s, I remember the abject horror of having tan lines on display and doing all I could to even mine out - with limited success. Fast forward to the mid 2020s and tan lines have become a fashion statement to be shown off."When they were out of style they were seen as an imperfection, now they're associated with the summer and an active lifestyle - they've become desirable," Jemma says. "This year it's risen to a whole other level - they're even on the catwalk."Some fake tanners are even using masking tape - the type I use on my skirting boards - to create that crisp line across their skin."My videos are about getting that tan line safely," Jemma says. "I feel pretty captivating, the look is eye-catching - especially the contrast between the darker skin and the white tan lines."Jemma is one of thousands extolling the virtues of tan lines, with posts notching up more than 200m views on alongside fake tanners like Jemma, there are just as many heading outdoors and under the hot sun, determined to create real tan lines - even if that means burning themselves and suffering the painful such as #sunburntanlines, #sunpoisoning and #sunstroke are popping up alongside videos of young men and women - some in tears - revealing deep red, almost purple, often puckered skin. Some are asking for help and advice, others actually want to show off their badly sunburned bodies. I've even seen one young woman proudly stating, "No pain no gain". Having a visible tan in Victorian times was a clear sign you were poor working class and probably spent most of your time hawking barrels of hay for very little the 1920s, a few freckles and a well-placed tan line would probably mean you had moved up a social class or two, and suggested health, wealth and luxurious the 1960s and 70s sun lovers were using cooking oil and reflective blankets to deepen their tans. But the links between ultraviolet (UV) radiation and skin cancer were becoming more widely known - and marked the beginning of a complex relationship with the desire to change our skin colour - and while tans are still sought after by millions of us, there is now little doubt a natural one carries with it a hefty element of risk. If someone had lectured Jak Howells about the risks of sunburn a few years ago those warnings would likely have fallen on deaf - and probably sunburnt - ears."I know it seems strange to be addicted to lying on a sunbed," the 26-year-old from Swansea says, "but I was."It began when Jak was 15, with a few of his older mates in school using them. By the time he was 19 Jak was on sunbeds five times a week, for 18-20 minutes at a time."My skin was so burned - my face looked like a beetroot. But I kept on going back for more," he says. "I knew in the back of my mind that there was a risk - I wasn't oblivious - but I didn't take it says he used to enjoy when people complimented him on how he looked and remarked on his tan."It gave me such a buzz, I loved it," he it was seeing the look of horror on his mum's face, as she examined a bleeding mole on his back, that made Jak realise his love of sunbeds had gone too far. Just before Christmas 2021, Jak was diagnosed with melanoma, one of the most dangerous types of skin cancer, which can spread to other parts of the followed, he says, were two years of "hell and horror". Jak had a complicated operation that involved surgeons cutting away two inches of skin from his lower back, chest and groin. But three months later the cancer was back. Jak then had immunotherapy - which uses the body's own immune system to fight the cancer - and was told if that didn't work, he had only a year to live."The sickness was horrific - I would lie in bed for days," Jak says. "It felt like I had been hit by a bus. I had such a damaged body, I was a shell of a human. I lived for the next scan, the next treatment." 'Massive backwards step' Melanoma skin cancer rates in the UK have increased by almost a third over the past decade. I asked Megan Fisher from Cancer Research UK why this is happening in an era where the risks posed by harmful rays from the sun and the links to skin cancer are now well known."It's partly down to those people who may have burnt several decades ago," she explains. "You only need to get sunburnt once every two years to triple your risk of getting skin cancer."As a population, we are growing older, so are "more likely to see more cancers" and "we are spotting them more quickly", she there are also concerns part of the increase could be down to the volume of misinformation doing the rounds online."We've taken a massive backwards step," says Dr Kate McCann, a preventative health specialist. "The message that the sun is good and sunscreen causes cancer is a complete loss of health literacy." She says the current trend to create tan lines by burning in the sun, coupled with false claims that suntan lotion is responsible for the very cancer it's trying to prevent is a "perfect storm"."If I see a child or a young person with sunburn now, I know they have an increased risk of cancer in 20 or 30 years."While there are some ingredients in suntan lotions - like oxybenzone - that can cause environmental damage to coral reefs, there is not evidence to suggest it poses a risk to humans, Dr McCann says."If you don't want to use a suntan lotion with certain chemicals there are plenty of more natural ones on the market - zinc and mineral based ones - but you can't just stop wearing sunscreen." As a young man Jak relished his tan lines. Now he says he's frightened by the sun and lathers himself up in SPF before even thinking about stepping the all clear from cancer in December 2022, he now has a career he loves making content and talking about his experiences to raise back he says he realises what happened to him was "probably self inflicted". "For a long time I blamed myself and I beat myself up about it," he says. "But I have been lucky enough to live through the consequences - and they were horrendous. So maybe now I feel like I've done my time."Back on TikTok, in her own way, beauty influencer and fake tanner Jemma is also trying to prevent others from going through what Jak did."Skin damage is real," she says. "We're not doing that." A list of organisations in the UK offering support and information with some of the issues in this story is available at BBC Action Line
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
Primark restocks 'beautiful' £20 autumn cardigan that's 'easy to layer'
Shoppers say they are 'obsessed' with the high street retailer's knitwear for autumn Primark's knitwear is often popular with customers - and shoppers 'love' a £20 style that's been spotted in stores ahead of autumn. Style fans praised the Essential Knitted Bomber when it was showcased on social media by TikTok user @littlebrowncygnet. She wrote: "Primark Autumn cardigans are back," highlighting the pink and cream colour options. There's also a brown option, as seen on Primark's website, where the style is described as a "knitted bomber with patch pockets, ribbed trims and a button front." The product description adds: "Say hello to your new throw on and go knit. This essential knitted bomber comes in a brown shade with a relaxed fit that's easy to layer. It's designed with long sleeves, a crew neckline and a classic button down front, plus ribbed cuffs and hem for a snug finish. "The soft knit texture adds cosiness, while two patch pockets bring a touch of utility (and somewhere to tuck your hands). Great with jeans, skirts or over a dress – the style choices are endless!" Viewers certainly loved the style when they saw it on social media. The video shared by @littlebrowncygnet quickly went viral, with more than 500,000 views. Reacting to the post, viewers voiced their excitement in the comment section. One fan of the style wrote: "I picked up the pink and brown - I'm obsessed." A second comment said: "Need this in every colour omgg." A third viewer thought: "The pink is so beautiful," while another commented: "The cream one," before adding heart emojis. The creator suggested: "They're gonna sell out fast." Meanwhile, another viewer said: "Cuuute." Someone else commented: "Love it." Less impressed, another response read: "I would just look like a granny." The creator replied: "Depends how you style them! I found them cute with cigarette trousers and ballerinas but that's just my style." But another customer claimed: "They're so nice, but they bobble so quickly!" and someone added: "They are so itchy." For shoppers looking for similar styles, Primark also offers a £30 Quilted Bomber Jacket, a £30 Floral Quilted Bomber Jacket, and a £28 Balloon Sleeve Bomber Jacket. The Quilted Bomber Jacket is described as "a quilted bomber jacket with a zip front and elasticated cuffs." The product description says: "Level up your outerwear with this quilted bomber jacket. "It's padded for extra cosiness and finished with an all over wave stitch design for texture. The silver-toned zip makes layering simple, while elasticated cuffs and hem keep things snug. "A slightly cropped, relaxed fit gives it that laid-back look you'll reach for again and again. With two handy welt pockets at the front, it's the ideal throw on for casual plans or crisp weather walks."
