Smile goes from McDonald’s as it supports kids’ mental health

McDonald’s is marking Mental Health Awareness Week with an integrated campaign – ‘The Meal’ – that removes its famous smile motif from Happy Meal boxes for the first time, 2.5 million of them in the UK. Campaign from PR agency Ready10 and AOR Leo Burnett.

The campaign has been developed with BBC Children in Need, and a dedicated hub has been designed to provide families with access to resources to encourage candid conversations on emotional well-being with children. The hub will be available to access via a QR code on the limited-edition Happy Meal boxes, as well as via the McDonald’s website and social media channels.

The two-minute film directed by Jake Mavity through Rogue Films demonstrates the importance of children openly expressing their emotions.

McDonald’s head of consumer comms and partnerships Louise Page says:, McDonald’s says: “We know how important it is to help stimulate open conversations about mental health in families, and through this change to our Happy Meal box, we hope many more families are encouraged to kickstart positive conversations around children’s emotions and wellbeing.”

Ready10 MD Kate Addy says: “The Happy Meal® smile is one of McDonald’s most iconic brand marks and we knew suggesting it was removed from the boxes would be a big ask, but we were delighted when McDonald’s also saw the potential to positively impact millions of children with this important campaign. We know the insight at the heart of the idea is one that will resonate with families across the country, and it’s been a privilege to create something which will encourage children and parents to be more open about their emotions.”

Mental Health concerns are so ubiquitous these days (everyone who thinks they’re in the spotlight claims to have one) that it’s easy to turn off.

But McDonald’s mostly has a sure touch these days, helped considerably by its agencies. This is a deft use of its brand.

MAA creative scale: 8.