So, the McMoms are back in action and today we made our first stop at
The Marketing Store in Chicago. We got to hear about how the Happy
Meal came to be, and we learned that the first Happy Meal in Canada
didn’t come out until 1994! Most of us were surprised that it is such
a fairly new concept in Canada. We got to see the evolution of how a
Happy Meal promotion goes from the research and idea phase to the
actual toy that you receive in your Happy Meals. A lot more goes into
it than you think! There’s strategic planning and brainstorming and
trend tracking and engineers who work hard on ideas that could cross
over into a toy (such as a toy that lights up when you wave your hand
across it) and sketches and Photoshop renderings and actual 3D model
printouts and safety testing. It’s amazing to think about how much
work goes into one little toy…but it seems like it’s all worth it to
put a smile on children’s faces! McDonald’s Happy Meal toys really are
a passion project for all of the people involved. Stay tuned for more
McMom fun!
1994? Really? That is very strange because I remember clearly the white box with the golden arches handles but no toys and I was 10 years old if not younger … so that was in 1985. Maybe it’s the name Happy Meal and the concept with the toys that was launched in 1994?
I can’t believe that Happy Meals didn’t exist prior to 1994. My kids absolutely love the toys and love the new cardboard boxes the happy meals are packaged in. Luckily my kids aren’t phased when the toy they really want is unavailable. They are always pleased to walk away with something new.