McDonald’s Meaningful Meals

McDonald’s “Happy Meals” are known around the world for being a kid-friendly option, but McDonald’s Sweden is rebranding the popular meal choice to make it grandparent-friendly as well. 

McDonald’s Sweden has introduced “Happy Meal Senior” where grandparents can receive a classic Happy Meal with a hand-drawn picture from their grandchild included rather than a toy. As older people are at higher risk of catching the Coronavirus, many in Sweden have had to self-isolate away from their children and grandchildren, which has led to an increase in feelings of loneliness among seniors—an emotion McDonald’s could help alleviate through its new promotion. Families can visit McDonald’s restaurants around the country and go inside a special Happy Meal box-inspired cubby where children can draw pictures and write letters to their grandparents. Families can then order a Happy Meal for their grandparents, which will be delivered with the grandchildren’s drawings inside. The restaurant brand is delivering the meals and hand-drawn surprises to grandparents at no extra charge. 

In addition to children’s drawings, McDonald’s Sweden is encouraging families to call their grandparents while eating at the restaurants as a way to share a meal together while safely social-distancing. The brand released a short commercial showing children coloring pictures for their grandparents and video chatting with them while eating. The ad also includes a sampling of drawings and meals kids sent to their grandparents, as well as the ending tagline that “Happy Meal still lives up to its name, no matter the age”. By adding an emotional element to its promotion for a mainstay menu item, McDonald’s Sweden could renew engagement with customers and bolster sales as it looks to recover from the Coronavirus pandemic, according to a Gartner report. McDonald’s Sweden is running the commercial across TV and digital channels to promote its Happy Meal Senior campaign. 

McDonald’s Sweden’s heartwarming spin on the classic Happy Meals could inspire families to visit the restaurants and order food during the pandemic solely to connect with their grandparents. If the initiative takes off in Sweden, McDonald’s could be encouraged to expand the campaign to other countries, helping children all over the world stay in touch with their grandparents during the Coronavirus pandemic.