What was McDonald’s first national children’s promotion featuring a toy called?

McDonald’s first national children’s promotion featuring a toy was called the Happy Meal.

The product was introduced in 1979 as a complete children’s meal packaged with a toy. Its name was deliberately simple and positive, matching McDonald’s family-oriented advertising and helping children recognize the product independently of the restaurant menu.

The Happy Meal followed earlier children’s promotions and restaurant mascots, so it is sometimes described incorrectly as McDonald’s first attempt to market directly to children. Its importance was that it combined food, packaging, and a collectible object into one standardized national product.

Over time, toys tied to films, television programs, sports, and original McDonald’s characters became central to the promotion. The Happy Meal has also changed in response to nutrition policies and local regulations, but its basic branding formula—small meal plus child-focused packaging and an item—has remained durable.