McDonald’s U.K. removes the iconic smiles from its Happy Meal boxes for the first time in the fast-food chain’s history in a campaign meant to raise awareness for mental health.
The campaign is in partnership with BBC Children in Need and developed by Ready10 and Leo Burnett.
"The Meal," launched just in time for Mental Health Awareness Week happening from May 13 to May 19, aims to encourage parents to engage with their children in discussions about feelings.
Central to the campaign is a 105-second spot, which features children talking about how they deal with their emotions and why they need to share their feelings with others.
"If you don't share your feelings, you have that worry inside of you, and you can't get it out," a little girl said.
When it was time to choose a mood to decorate their Happy Meals boxes, one boy wittily chose "confused," saying, "It's good to be confused. You learn something new."
The spot ends with the kids showing funny faces, and the message, "It's okay not to feel happy all the time."
Commitment to Empowering Children
The specially designed Happy Meal boxes, which are devoid of the trademark smile, are meant to serve as conversation starters for parents to better understand their children’s emotional well-being.
The decision to remove the smile was made in response to a recent McDonald's study, which found that almost 50% of kids in the U.K. feel under pressure to be happy all the time, even when they aren't.
The limited-edition Happy Meal box now includes a sheet of stickers featuring a range of emotions, which lets children customize them and express their feelings.
Two-and-a-half million boxes were printed and distributed to over 1,400 McDonald's branches in the U.K.
Also joining forces with McDonald’s for the campaign is renowned football legend and father of five Rio Ferdinand.
"I’ve experienced first-hand with my own children how good communication and encouraging kids to embrace how they truly feel can build trust and help to manage emotions — no matter how big or small," Ferdinand shared in a statement.
“It’s our job to empower our children to express themselves freely and support them every step of the way in understanding that it’s okay to not be happy all the time," he continued.
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By encouraging children to be more open with their feelings, the campaign strives to help create a supportive environment where mental health is a priority.
"We’ve been proudly supporting BBC Children in Need for four years now, and we know how important it is to help stimulate open conversations about mental health in families," Louise Page, head of consumer communications & partnerships at McDonald’s, said.
"Through this change to our iconic Happy Meal box, we hope that many more families are encouraged to kickstart positive conversations around children’s emotions and wellbeing," Page added.
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Editing by Katherine 'Makkie' Maclang
