McDonald’s and Fuel Industries introduce the Happy Meal for the digital generation

A unique entertainment property makes its debut in restaurants across Europe

After twenty-nine years of wildly popular children’s toys, McDonald’s is bringing its Happy Meals to your computer. In an exciting new digital initiative, McDonald’s Europe is partnering with Canadian entertainment studio Fuel Industries to reinvent the contents of the box that, for three decades, has had children and their parents visiting McDonald’s restaurants across the world.

This spring, children will be introduced to four mischievous Fairies and four powerful Dragons by way of interactive CD-ROMs that will bring the characters to life on their computers. In an original twist on what has become a staple of children’s advertising, these Happy Meal toys do not feature tie-ins to a major children’s film, game, toy line or television program. Rather, they are original licensed creations developed by Fuel Industries, a branded entertainment studio operating out of Ottawa, Canada.

Typically, McDonald’s has partnered with major studios to bring already-established characters to their Happy Meals. Partnering with a smaller studio like Fuel signals a new approach. The fairies and dragons may be new to children, but McDonald’s is confident that the personality of the characters themselves will be attractive to millions of children in Europe.

In keeping with the campaign’s international focus, the interactive characters communicate without language, and will be released in forty countries without the need for translation. Once the disc, which is included in a bright plastic case within the Happy Meal, is inserted, and the fairy or dragon comes to life on their desktop, children follow audio and visual clues in order to unlock the full gamut of games they can play with the character.

McDonald’s, who will be shipping a generous amount of the CD-ROMs, believes this could signal the beginning of a new era for its signature children’s meals. By working directly with an entertainment studio in a joint venture to produce original content, McDonald’s has made a unique change to three decades of tradition, and is banking that great characters and fun content is more than enough to keep kids entertained.

Quotes

“Working in partnership with McDonald’s Europe has been a great experience, and it is giving us a unique opportunity to have our creations experienced by millions of kids worldwide. By licensing characters and content from our 100 person shop in Ottawa, Canada, McDonald’s Europe is making a fantastic statement: when a company is determined to create top-quality content, people will stand up and take notice.”

“The teams in London and Paris have been wonderful to work with. The vision and passion they have - to redefine what a Happy Meal can be, is simply amazing. We hope to work together on these projects for a long time.”
-Warren Tomlin, Chief Creative Officer, Fuel Industries

ABOUT MCDONALD’S

McDonald’s is the leading global foodservice retailer with more than 30,000 local restaurants in more than 100 countries. More than 70% of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local men and women. For more information about the company, visit www.mcdonalds.com.

ABOUT FUEL INDUSTRIES

Fuel Industries is a multiple award-winning interactive studio that lives at the intersection of marketing and entertainment. With over 100 employees and presence in Canada, the US, and the UK, Fuel has built audiences by creating entertaining online experiences both for major international brands and its own licensed entertainment properties. Fuel’s diverse holdings include interests in game development, video production, sound design, social media, and mobile marketing. Passionate about redefining the interactive agency and inventing the future.