McDonald's first introduced the Happy Meal in 1979 as a children's meal that included a toy. The product combined a child-sized serving with a branded package and collectible promotion, making the meal itself part of McDonald's family-oriented identity.
The original Happy Meal was created after McDonald's tested and developed a children-focused offering in the United States. Its contents have changed over time and vary by market, but the basic idea of pairing food with a toy remained central to the product's branding.
The Happy Meal is sometimes mistaken for a character or an advertising campaign. It is a menu product and packaging concept, while McDonaldland was the fictional advertising world featuring characters such as Grimace and the Hamburglar. The Happy Meal also helped establish McDonald's as a destination for family dining and licensed entertainment promotions.