McDonald's introduced the Happy Meal as a children's meal brand in 1979.
The meal combined a child-sized serving with a toy and distinctive packaging, giving McDonald's a dedicated product identity for families. Its name, colorful box, and changing toy promotions made the meal more than a smaller version of an ordinary order: it became a recognizable sub-brand within McDonald's marketing.
The Happy Meal was first introduced in the United States after regional tests and was designed to make the restaurant experience more appealing to children. Toys and packaging themes later became closely connected with films, television characters, and other popular entertainment properties.
Some accounts confuse the Happy Meal's 1979 national introduction with earlier local experiments and promotional children's meals. The widely cited milestone for the branded Happy Meal is 1979.