McDonald’s began its annual Monopoly promotional game in the United States in 1987.
The promotion adapted the familiar Monopoly board-game property system into a restaurant giveaway. Customers received game pieces with qualifying food purchases and collected matching property groups or instant-prize symbols for a chance to win rewards.
The campaign became one of McDonald’s most recognizable promotions because it combined packaging, point-of-sale materials, advertising, and repeat customer participation. Its branding relied on the immediate familiarity of Monopoly’s streets, colors, and property-group structure.
The promotion is often discussed alongside the 2001 fraud scandal involving the marketing company’s security contractor, but that later scandal does not mark the game’s beginning. The original United States promotion dates to 1987, and versions were subsequently used in other countries.