The Happy Meal is McDonald’s children’s menu brand introduced in 1979.
The meal combined a child-sized serving with packaging designed to be playful and collectible. A toy was commonly included, making the product more than a smaller restaurant meal and giving McDonald’s a distinctive family-oriented branding platform.
The idea was developed in the United States after regional children’s meal promotions had demonstrated strong appeal. The national launch helped McDonald’s build a consistent identity around family visits, colorful boxes, and licensed or original toy programs.
The Happy Meal is sometimes mistaken for the name of the toy itself, but the term refers to the complete meal package. Its contents and packaging have varied by country and over time, while the brand name has remained widely recognizable.