Underage Marketing

As I sat on the couch with my four-year-old nephew, he leaned over and whispered to me, “Auntie, McDonald’s has Lion King toys now, can we go?!” Mind you, we just finished collecting all of the Toy Story 4 Happy Meal toys a couple of weeks ago. All fun and games aside, it had me thinking about the marketing behind these Happy Meal toys, as well as other food products that entice children by including toys or prizes with the item.

In 1977, Dick Brams, the McDonald’s St. Louis regional advertising manager, created the U.S.’s first Happy Meal which included a hamburger or cheeseburger, French fries, cookies, a soft drink, and – of course – a toy.

But is McDonald’s getting the bad rap because they are one of the most popular and well-known fast food chains? After all, Cracker Jack has been including prizes in each of their Cracker Jack boxes since 1912. It is even speculated that McDonald’s decided to incorporate Happy Meals in their menu in response to one of its competitors at the time, Burger Chef. You can go down that rabbit hole here: Who Created the McDonald’s Happy Meal?

For some, the Happy Meal idea and its included toy does seem to appear harmless at first. That is, until you realize each Happy Meal toy is an individual component that comprises one large toy once all of the pieces have been collected. In fact, one father in Canada is suing McDonald’s because he believes that the fast-food chain is breaking laws set in place by Quebec’s Consumer Protection Act which bans most advertising to those under the age of 13. His lawsuit states that, “the toys that come with Happy Meals are marketed with the launch of children’s movies and are often part of a series, prompting his family to return to the restaurant to complete the set.”

Sure, parents always have the right to say no to their children who request Happy Meals, however, is there a larger underlying issue here? Is food marketing to children through toys okay? What other examples can you think of that targets marketing to underage audiences? Should there be stricter regulations on advertising and marketing to children?

References

Borrelli, C. (2019, July 5). Who created the McDonald’s Happy Meal? 40 years later, the answer is complicated. Retrieved from https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-ent-happy-meal-anniversary-0707-20190703-4c7xooiaubdlddo2qsbsuny3me-4c7xooiaubdlddo2qsbsuny3me-story.html

Handley, L. (2018, November 20). McDonald’s is being sued by a father over ‘illegal’ marketing of Happy Meals to children. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/20/mcdonalds-is-being-sued-over-illegal-marketing-of-happy-meals.html

Webley, K. (2010, April 30). A brief history of the Happy Meal. Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1986073,00.html