McDonald's first national promotional meal designed especially for children was the Happy Meal.
The Happy Meal was introduced nationally in the United States in 1979. It combined a child-sized serving of food with a toy, making the package both a meal and a branded entertainment product. The box and toy helped McDonald's create a distinctive visual identity for family dining.
A similar concept had been tested regionally before the national launch, including the McDonald's Circus Wagon meal. The Happy Meal is sometimes confused with later children's meal names used in particular markets, but “Happy Meal” became the enduring global brand name.