The Activation
Jollibee is deploying a system-wide limited-time promotion tied to DreamWorks Animation's Forgotten Island, launching September 14 at all North American units — roughly two weeks ahead of the film's theatrical debut on September 25. The collaboration runs through October 31, 2026, and spans LTO meal bundles, collectible merchandise, apparel, loyalty-program sweepstakes, and immersive store takeovers at three marquee locations.
The promotion is among the more operationally layered film tie-ins the Filipino QSR brand has executed in North America, where it has been aggressively expanding its footprint as part of parent company Jollibee Foods Corporation's global growth strategy. With more than 1,800 stores across 16 countries, Jollibee has increasingly leaned on cultural storytelling and high-profile partnerships to drive traffic and loyalty enrollment in its newer North American markets.
The Numbers
Three Forgotten Island-branded box meals anchor the in-restaurant push: a 2-piece Chickenjoy box meal, a Chicken Sandwich box meal, and a 6-piece Bucket Bundle designed for group occasions — a daypart and party-size segment Jollibee has historically over-indexed on. Each qualifying purchase includes a blind-box foil pack with one of eight collectible bracelet charms; the Bucket Bundle includes three. Guests can add a bracelet chain for $2 with a qualifying in-store purchase. On the beverage side, Jollibee is introducing a Calamansi Lemonade — highlighting the Filipino citrus fruit — as a permanent LTO companion to the campaign, with a blended Freeze variant at select locations.
Merchandise extends the revenue opportunity beyond the dining room. A co-branded T-shirt ($35), hoodie ($75), and windbreaker ($75) are available via the Jolly Merch Shop, with the windbreaker distributed exclusively through Complex Shop beginning October 2. Co-branded apparel drops have become a reliable secondary revenue and brand-awareness channel for lifestyle-adjacent QSR operators, particularly those targeting younger multicultural consumers.
Why It Matters
The Forgotten Island co-promotion carries strategic weight beyond a standard media tie-in. The film features substantial Filipino cultural representation — including voice talent from Lea Salonga, Liza Soberano, and Jo Koy — making it an unusually aligned partner for a brand whose identity is rooted in Filipino heritage. Luis Velasco, Senior Vice President and Marketing Head at Jollibee North America, framed the pairing as a natural extension of the brand's core equity: "This partnership is a wonderful reflection of Jollibee's heritage and our commitment to creating memorable, happy moments around great food."
Immersive store takeovers at Jollibee's Manhattan (East 42nd Street), Torrance, and Daly City locations will function as experiential marketing hubs, a tactic chains use to generate earned media in high-density markets without commensurate paid-media spend. Loyalty integration sharpens the measurable ROI: Jollibee Rewards members can enter a sweepstakes with prizes ranging from branded merchandise to domestic travel packages and a grand-prize trip to Palawan Island in the Philippines — a hook designed to drive app downloads and repeat visits during the promotional window.
For operators tracking the competitive landscape, the campaign reflects a broader QSR trend of studios courting emerging chains with authentic cultural narratives rather than defaulting to the largest fast-food advertisers. Jollibee's ability to activate a full-system LTO — merchandise, in-store décor, beverage innovation, and loyalty sweepstakes simultaneously — signals increasing operational maturity in its North American franchise infrastructure. Foodservice operators monitoring unit-growth trends in the Filipino QSR segment and LTO strategy across global restaurant brands will find the campaign a useful data point as the format matures.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
