Fast food restaurants know where their bread is buttered -- with the kids! The chains have been using toys as little-kid bait for decades, and it's an effective tactic: Children have an adorable propensity for confusing junk for treasure, which is why kiddie meals can be the highlight of their day.
Most of these meals fall into two categories: interactive advertisements for recent blockbusters or beloved television shows, and lame.
We're focusing on the latter, those toys over the years that were uninspired, nonsensical, or just plain disappointing. Each of these so-called "collectibles" currently languishes in the corners of garages, the bottoms of landfills and in the remote, digital wastelands of eBay.
Kids hoping to grab a Happy Meal from McDonald's might end up with PETA'sUnhappy Meal instead.
The animal rights organization lifted its moratorium on the McCruelty Campaign this year and since June has distributed Chicken McCruelty Unhappy Meals to McDonald's customers outside about a dozen restaurants around the country.
"McDonald's markets its food to children by packaging it in brightly colored boxes with toys," Lindsay Rajt, a spokeswoman for PETA, tells Slashfood. "But most kids really love animals, and if they knew that McDonald's suppliers were breaking the wings and legs of gentle animals like chickens, I think that you'd have to drag kids into McDonald's kicking and screaming."
By the time McDonald's introduced Happy Meals, I was too old to enjoy them. I've always felt kind of gypped by the whole Happy Meal thing. Now that the fast-food giant may discontinue the Pasta Zoo Happy Meal in its Australian restaurants, I'm even more disappointed. Actually that's a lie, I've never even heard of Pasta Zoo until today. It sounds like the pasta version of animal crackers.
Pasta Zoo was introduced back in January, but after poor sales, McDonald's is seriously considering replacing it with something else. The animal-shaped pasta with dipping sauce was part of the company's efforts to provide healthier Happy Meals.
This isn't the first failed product for Macca's, as the chain is known Down Under. Last spring the chain tested several dinner items, including spaghetti Bolognese and beef rendang, that were dropped from the menu. As a fan of Malaysian food, I don't whether to be happy or disappointed that one can no longer get a Big Mac with a side order of rendang in Australia.
Does anyone remember McDonald's coming out with some Happy Meal toys last year that were "American Idol" inspired? Apparently the toys were meant to represent musical genres, with named like Disco Dave and Rockin' Riley. I don't, but Devo was certainly aware of it.
According to Rolling Stone's music blog, Rock and Roll Daily, the 80's new wave band is suing the fast food giant because one of the toys, New Wave Nigel, is looks incredibly similar to what the band looked like in the early 1980's right down to the red hat. That wouldn't be a problem, except Devo had the hat, called the energy dome, copyrighted and trade marked.
According to Devo, they were never approached by McDonald's, and they are quite upset about it. I can't wait to hear about what happens next.
If you live in a developing country, that is: In the U.S., land o'plenty, so the golden arches will always remain a convenience as a drive-through window, but in cities that are congested and land is scarce, McDonald's has taken to delivery.
Where would you have to go to get your Big Mac and fries delivered right to your door with a delivery charge of anywhere from 50 cents to a dollar? Ronald McDonald commissions fleets of delivery people in cars or on motorbikes in cities like Manila, Taipei, Cairo, for a total of about 25 cities, with a half dozen more in the works.
Really, I think L.A. is congested enough of a city that McDonald's delivery could work here. I can't tell you how many times I've woken up on a weekend morning craving an Egg McMuffin, but was a little too, uh, "dehydrated" to get in the car and get to a McDonald's before 10:30AM!
Really, when you look at Shrek, what is the first thing that comes to mind? His svelte figure? His healthy glow? His lovely umm...green skin? Though he may not exactly be the poster child for healthy living, McDonald's nonetheless chose him to lead their latest campaign, promoting the healthier choices they now offer to kids on their regular menu and in Happy Meals.
Shrek, Donkey, and other characters from the movie will apparently try to convince your kids to choose apple slices and salads rather than fries and burgers, and milk rather than soda. Maybe it's just me, but I'm not entirely convinced that even Shrek has the power to make kids want apples slices rather than salty, crispy, golden fries - but it is a step in the right direction at least.
Maccie-dees Australia has released details of its new children's dinner menu to be marketed as a healthier alternative to its 25-year-old Happy Meals range. The new menu, which will include pasta, noodles, rice, fresh fruit, lean meat and reduced-fat dairy, will be available in McDonald's 700-plus restaurants later this year, making Australia the first country in the world to introduce a healthier Happy Meal.
They have spent two years developing a menu that satisfies both the nutritionists and parents but is also one that will appeal to children. The new range is not a direct replacment for Happy Meals but will be added to the standard Chicken McNuggets and fries. The new children's menu is the latest manifestation of McDonald's strategy of offering a wider choice of dishes to consumers.
It is expected that the marketing gimmick of including a collectable toy - an important part of the Happy Meals package - will continue. The combination of toy and food in a box has been one of the most successful marketing initiatives in the world.
Fast food franchises all over the world give out toys with their kid's meals. Not all of them do, of
course, but the companies know that is no better way to lure a hungry child in for lunch than with the promise of a
free toy. Until recently, I generally assumed that the majority of the restaurants that did this were in the
United States. Though the toys vary by location, they are distributed in even unexpected places. In the US and some
other countries, the toys are very centered on cartoons and movies.
In Qatar, as it turns out, they look to provide "fun and quality toys that kids can interact with" in their
kid's meals. And by "interact with," they mean that their toys still have movable parts, because the
"quality toys" are mostly likely still manufactured alongside the "quality" US kid's meal toys.
I do recall getting a surprisingly nice watch - plastic, but stylish - at a McDonald's in France, though it was
about 9 years ago when the kid's meal toys seemed to be of a higher quality in general.
Even though the crust of your pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving turned out flaky and buttery, consider everyone "pie"-ed out. Try these non-pie ways to use up leftover disk of dough.
By the time McDonald's introduced Happy Meals, I was too old to enjoy them. I've always felt kind of gypped by the whole Happy Meal thing. Now that the fast-food giant may discontinue the Pasta Zoo Happy Meal in its Australian restaurants, I'm even more disappointed. Actually that's a lie, I've never even heard of Pasta Zoo until today. It sounds like the pasta version of animal crackers. 
Really, when you look at Shrek, what is the first thing that comes to mind? His svelte figure? His healthy glow? His lovely umm...green skin? Though he may not exactly be the poster child for healthy living, McDonald's nonetheless chose him to lead their latest campaign, promoting the healthier choices they now offer to kids on their regular menu and in Happy Meals. 
Maccie-dees Australia has released details of its new children's dinner menu to be marketed as a healthier alternative to its 25-year-old Happy Meals range. The new menu, which will include pasta, noodles, rice, fresh fruit, lean meat and reduced-fat dairy, will be available in McDonald's 700-plus restaurants later this year, making Australia the first country in the world to introduce a healthier Happy Meal.
Fast food franchises all over the world give out toys with their kid's meals. Not all of them do, of
course, but the companies know that is no better way to lure a hungry child in for lunch than with the promise of a
free toy. Until recently, I generally assumed that the majority of the restaurants that did this were in the
United States. Though the toys vary by location, they are distributed in even unexpected places. In the US and some
other countries, the toys are very centered on cartoons and movies.
In Qatar, as it turns out, they look to provide "fun and quality toys that kids can interact with" in their
kid's meals. And by "interact with," they mean that their toys still have movable parts, because the
"quality toys" are mostly likely still manufactured alongside the "quality" US kid's meal toys.
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