McDonald’s first nationally advertised character meal for children was the Happy Meal.
McDonald’s introduced the Happy Meal nationally in the United States in 1979. It combined a child-sized portion of food with a toy, turning a restaurant purchase into a branded experience designed specifically for children and families.
The concept had regional predecessors, including the McDonald’s Funmeal, which helped establish the idea before the national rollout. The Happy Meal name and box design gave the product a consistent identity that could support tie-ins with films, television characters, and company mascots.
The Happy Meal became an important part of McDonald’s family branding. It is often confused with later children’s meal names used by competitors or regional menu variations, but “Happy Meal” is the established McDonald’s product name.