Oversized promotional pin for the McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish, dated by pricing to the late 1970s–1980s.
Category: Curated
File Under: Fast Food Ephemera, Advertising
An extra-large promotional button for McDonald’s “White Sale” Filet-O-Fish offer at $1.39—a price point that helps date the piece to the late 1970s or 1980s. The Filet-O-Fish was introduced to the McDonald’s menu in 1965 to provide an alternative for Catholic customers observing Lent; since then it has become a quiet staple in North American fast-food culture, with particular popularity in Canada.
The button reflects an era when corporate promotions relied on physical ephemera—badges, tray liners, window decals—rather than digital campaigns. It now serves as a compact record of branding, pricing, and consumer behaviour, as well as early intersections between fast-food chains and sourcing accountability.*
*McDonald’s Canada currently uses MSC-certified fish for its Filet-O-Fish. Not remarkable in itself, but an example of how institutional partnerships and consumer pressure have shaped supply-chain practices over time.
Oversized promotional pin for the McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish, dated by pricing to the late 1970s–1980s.
Category: Curated
File Under: Fast Food Ephemera, Advertising
An extra-large promotional button for McDonald’s “White Sale” Filet-O-Fish offer at $1.39—a price point that helps date the piece to the late 1970s or 1980s. The Filet-O-Fish was introduced to the McDonald’s menu in 1965 to provide an alternative for Catholic customers observing Lent; since then it has become a quiet staple in North American fast-food culture, with particular popularity in Canada.
The button reflects an era when corporate promotions relied on physical ephemera—badges, tray liners, window decals—rather than digital campaigns. It now serves as a compact record of branding, pricing, and consumer behaviour, as well as early intersections between fast-food chains and sourcing accountability.*
*McDonald’s Canada currently uses MSC-certified fish for its Filet-O-Fish. Not remarkable in itself, but an example of how institutional partnerships and consumer pressure have shaped supply-chain practices over time.
Type: Promotional pin-back button
Era: c. late 1970s–1980s
Dimensions: XL diameter (approx. 3")
Material: Plastic laminate cover, with rear metal pin back
Condition: Vintage; surface wear consistent with age
